Walking dead: extinction
by blazethundr23
Summary: This goes through all the events of season 1-4. It's starting with Rick and the group returning without Merle and being reunited with Lori Carl and Shane but 2 of my OCs will also be involved. But won't overshadow the main cast!
1. Chapter 1: Tell it to the Frogs

**AN: you can see the titles of these chapters are also the titles of the episodes. Each chapter will have 1 episode. Also, my character will be in third person, review and tell me if you'd rather it be first person. This is my first ever fan fiction so tell me if I'm getting someone's character wrong, and I will never be able to perfect Daryl's accent though. please review!**

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It was about a month after the world went to absolute shit, and Brian was all alone. He just witnessed his own parents being torn limb from limb by ravenous man-eating monsters, he has yet to name them though. He had dark brown hair, stood at about 5'9. green eyes, and wore a dark jacket that was bloodstained, and blue torn jeans. He stumbled upon a camp, up on a mountain road, when he got noticed, an elderly man went to greet him, but one of the survivors shoved a shotgun in his face before he could speak.

"Get away from here. We already have too many people." The man with the gun said.'

"Cool it, before I shove that gun up your ass." He tried to act threatening but couldn't keep his voice from shaking.

The man cocked the gun like he was about to shoot, but he saw everyone watching him so he lowered it, and slumped away.

"You must be another survivor, we could use more help. Names Dale." The elderly man greeted with that reassuring smile of his. "You were brave to stand up to him."

"Names Brian." The kid who seemed to be about seventeen said. "And thanks."

"That's Shane, Lori, and Carl" Dale said motioning to three people, a man in his mid twenties to mid thirties, and a woman about the same age with a small boy. He recognized Shane as the man who threatened him. "Lori and Carl are his dead best friends wife and son"

"Shane saved them? That's pretty generous." Brian looked at Shane thoughtfully, not quite trusting him."Especially nowadays."

"Yeah. And that's Ed, Carol and Sophia." Dale said pointing to a middle aged man and woman with a little girl.

"Sophia doesn't seem happy... And Carol looks scared..." Brian stared at them.

"They refuse to say why though." Dale said with a hint of sadness. "And finally that's Amy, and Jim"

Dale motioned to a cute blonde near a tall, quiet man with a beard.

"We have more of our group but their out gathering supplies, and one of us is out hunting." Dale said.

Just then, a loud car alarm sounded. Dale climbed the RV, and Shane ran to him.

"What's going on Dale!" Shane called up to him. Dale looked into his binoculars toward the noise.

"It's Glenn!" Dale called down.

Just then, a red sports car rode in, and an Asian guy hopped out, laughing. Everyone began yelling to him, Amy asking him where her sister was, and Shane demanding he pop the hood. Glenn opened the hood and Shane ripped out something and the alarm stopped.

"What the hell were you thinking!" Shane yelled at him, face red from anger. "You wanna lead every _Walker_ within one hundred miles here!?"

"Shane, calm down. With these mountains, no one would be able to pinpoint where the sound came from." Dale said, with that grandfatherly tone of his.

"What's that?!" Brian called as another truck drove in.

Out came a Hispanic man, a blonde girl, a large black man, and a black woman. Amy ran and hugged the blonde girl, sobbing.

"I thought you were a goner!" She sobbed into the girls shoulder as the girl tried to comfort her.

"that's Morales, Andrea, T dog, and Jacqui." Dale whispered to Brian.

"how'd you make it?" Shane asked them.

"Had a little help. Come out here you two!" Morales called to the truck.

A middle aged man in a Georgia police uniform walked out. Carl and Lori glanced up and had a shocked expression on their faces. Brian noticed Shane looked in pain. Carl ran and hugged the man, crying. Lori walked over and hugged him sobbing.

"Dad..." Carl managed between sobs.

A boy about eighteen stepped out too, in a bright blue sweat jacket, and black sweat pants. He had bright red hair, blue eyes, and a strong build, his hands buried deep in his pockets.

"This is the camp? I'm Riley, nice to meet you all." He smiled.

"Rick, how'd you live..." Shane walked closer to him, barely hiding the discontempt.

"I woke up from my coma in the hospital, and managed to escape... I met Riley, he was with these two guys who saved my life, Morgan and Duane... They left me but Riley wanted to come with me..." Rick explained the whole story to everyone.

"I'm glad you made it, Rick..." Lori finally pulled away from the hug.

"Hey, where's Merle..." Dale looked at them.

"We had to leave him." Rick started.

:: ::

That night at the campfire, everyone was discussing what to do about Merle.

"What will we do when Daryl gets here?" Dale looked at everyone.

"Daryl?" Rick looked at Dale.

"Merle's brother." Dale replied. "He's out hunting right now."

"I'll tell him I dropped the key." T dog looked at everyone.

"No. I handcuffed him up there, it's my fault." Rick looked at T dog.

"I don't wanna bring race into this. But it might sound better coming from a white guy." Glenn spoke. Both Brian and Riley chuckled at that comment.

The next morning, as Rick woke and left his tent and saw Carol ironing his clothes.

"Thanks, Carol" he smiled at her.

Suddenly there was a scream from the forest, Rick, Shane, Dale, and everyone else ran to the noise, and got there in time to see Sophia running back to camp. The women stayed with Sophia to comfort her, meanwhile the men ran to where she screamed. They saw a Walker, eating the guts of a fallen deer, that had arrows stuck in various places. They slowly walked around it and it looked up and noticed them, and stood, walking closer. All the men began beating it down with various objects until Dale came with an axe, slashing its head clean off. Just then a man came out of the trees, a crossbow slung over his shoulder.

"What the hell man?! I been chasin' this thing for miles!" The man said, and kicked the lifeless corpse of the Walker. "You think if we cut around the eaten part, it'll still be safe?"

He knelt by the deer then turned to leave but as he did, he heard chomping.

"What the hell you good for?! It's gotta be the brain!" The man shot the head with the crossbow and retrieved the arrow. He walked back to camp. "Merle! Merle come help me cook up these squirrels! Merle!"

No one wanted to be the one to tell him, so Shane stepped forward.

"Daryl, they had to leave Merle in Atlanta." Shane looked at the man.

"He dead?" Daryl questioned.

"We don't know." T dog, who just got back from gathering wood spoke.

"Well, he either is or he ain't!" Daryl was breathing heavily from anger.

Daryl suddenly ran at T dog, but Shane pulled him away, putting him into a headlock.

"Now we are gonna have a calm discussion. Can we manage that?" Rick looked at Daryl.

Daryl struggled for a few moments until Shane finally let him go.

"Your brother, he was a danger to us all. We had no choice but to handcuff him to the roof." Rick spoke slowly.

"And who are you?" Daryl looked at him.

"Rick Grimes" He said his name.

"Rick Grimes. You were the one who handcuffed my brother to the roof?!" Daryl accused.

"It was my fault. I dropped the key." T dog looked at Daryl.

"You couldn't pick it up?!" Daryl yelled at T dog.

"I dropped it down a drain." T dog looked ashamed.

Riley and Brian ran to try and hold Daryl back, afraid he might attack again. Daryl struggled against their grip for a long while then stopped.

"Let me go!" He was shouting, as they did let him go.

"I'm going back for Merle." Daryl didn't look at anyone.

"I'm going too. It's my fault he's up there." Rick looked at Daryl. He noticed Lori walk away with a sickened look.

"Me too." Riley smiled at them, and went to the truck, pulling out his weapon of choice, a metal baseball bat. Going back to the group.

"I'm going." T dog walked to them.

"So you're going to risk four lives?" Shane shook his head.

"Five." Rick looked at Glenn.

"No no no no!" Glenn shook his head.

"You know the area. You said it yourself. In and out. Easy." Rick tried to convince him.

"Fine." He walked to the truck they came in, and got everything ready.

When Rick and Riley were on their way there, they heard Shane and Dale talking.

"Were running low on ammo." Dale was saying.

"Yeah, I know." Shane sighed.

"I left a gun case, with plenty of weapons, and ammo back in Atlanta when they found me and Riley." Rick walked to the, Riley following. "six shotguns, two high powered rifles, over a dozen pistols."

"Ammo?" Shane looked at him.

"Over 700 rounds assorted." Rick remembered.

"We could go back for it..." Riley looked at them.

"Ok, don't do anything dangerous though." Dale said before taking his place on the roof of the RV.

As they were about to get into the truck, Rick and T dog borrowed bolt cutters from Dale.

:: ::

After Daryl, Rick, T dog, Riley, and Glenn left. Shane was teaching Brian and Carl how to catch fish, Brian and Shane made up after Shane almost killed him. On their way back up, there was a commotion with Andrea, Amy, Carol, Jacqui, and Ed. They stood there watching it play out. Shane saw when Ed struck his wife across the face. Shane and Brian sprinted down to where they were and Shane pulled Ed away, pushing him to the ground, getting on top of him. Brian was comforting Carol, while Shane pounded on Ed.

"Get off him!" Carol was yelling as Andrea held her back.

Eventually Shane stood up.

"I see you hurt your wife again, and next time I won't stop. Got it?" Shane looked down at Ed, who simply nodded. "Good."

He struck Ed once more and kicked him before walking away with Carl and Brian. Carol ran to her husband and knelt down beside him, crying.

"I'm sorry Ed, I'm so sorry...!" Carol was saying between sobs.

:: ::

The truck parked on railroad tracks, a few blocks from the store Merle was left at. Everyone jumped out.

"Why we stopping here?" Riley looked at Glenn.

"Will be easier to escape if we aren't being chased down by Walkers." Glenn began walking back there.

"Makes sense..." Riley mumbled sarcastically, before promptly following everyone else. They saw the front door was busted open and inside was a lone walker, who slowly walked toward them.'

"Well you're an ugly skank, ain't ya?" Daryl aimed the crossbow and fired, hitting her in the eye.

They sprinted to the roof and saw it was still padlocked, and T dog cut off the lock with bolt cutters. Daryl was the first in.

"Merle! Merle!" He yelled at the heavens. When they reached the spot they left Merle, they saw a severed hand laying near a saw. Riley turned his head to gag.

"No! No!" Daryl was sobbing. "No!"

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**AN: I'm planning a romance between Beth and Riley, tell me if You think that's good or not. By the way, in season 1 Brian and Riley won't be too important. Season 2 they get a larger role.**


	2. Chapter 2: Vatos

**An: There's gonna be probably two chapters a day, most times.**

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Daryl was breathing heavily, finally had stopped crying. He suddenly spun, aiming his crossbow at T Dog, who didn't even react. Rick cocked his gun, putting it against Daryl's head.

"I won't hesitate. I don't care if every Walker in the city hears it." Rick whispered.

Daryl just held it there for a few moments then lowered the bow, Rick put his gun back in its holster. Riley looked as Daryl knlet by the hand and looked at the saw.

"The saw must of been too dull for the handcuffs." He sighed and stood.

"So he is dead?" Riley shook his head.

"We don't know for certain." Rick reassured him.

"You got a do-rag or somethin'?" Daryl stared at T dog.

T dog handed him the rag, and Daryl put the hand in it, and into Glenn's backpack. Glenn looked disgusted. They barged down a door, leading to another staircase.

"Merle! Merle!" Daryl yelled down the stairs.

All of them ran down the stairs. In a room a Walker without a lower jaw walked to them, and Riley promptly smashed its skull open with one hit with the bat.

"Nice one, kid." T dog looked at him and he just smiled.

In the next room there were two dead walkers near a wrench.

"Had enough in him to take down these two sons of bitches." Daryl looked at them with sorrow. "Toughest bastard you'll ever meet, my brother. Feed him a hammer, he'd crap out nails."

Riley chuckled at that comment, liking this group more and more by the minute.

They entered a kitchen, blood all over the place. A fire was going.

"He calloused the stump..." Rick looked around.

"Told you he was tough." Daryl smiled.

"Anyone could pass out from blood loss, no matter how tough they are." Rick walked past him.

:: ::

"I'm worried about Jim." Dale was saying to everyone.

"Why?" Brian asked.

Dale simply pointed to Jim who was digging holes on a hill. Everyone ran to see him, but he didn't stop digging.

"Jim whats this about?" Shane asked him. There was no reply. "Jim? Why are you digging, you trying to reach China?"

Jim looked up at him and didn't reply.

"Answer him Jim." Brian walked closer.

"What's it to ya? Not like I'm hurting anyone." Jim smiled.

"Except maybe yourself." Dale looked at him. "It's 100 degrees out here!"

"Listen, why don't you all just go about your business. Leave me alone." Jim continued to dig.

"Okay, their not gonna say it so I will, your scaring people. Carl, and Sophia." Lori stepped forward.

"Nothing to be afraid of." Jim chuckled.

"Listen, take a rest. Drink. Tell ya what. Maybe later, me and Brian will come out here ourselves and help you. Just tell us what this is about." Shane looked at him. "And give me the shovel."

"Or what? You'll beat me in like you did Ed?" Jim smiled, tauntingly. "Yeah? You see his face or what's left of it? That's what happens when anyone crosses Shane!"

"that was different." Shane looked offended. "He was hurting his wife."

"That's their marriage not yours!" Jim yelled.

"Just give us the shovel." Brian reached for it but Jim swung it and Shane and Brian ducked under it.

Shane tackled Jim, pinning him on his stomach.

"it's gonna be alright..." Shane soothed.

"Thats a lie, the biggest lie of all." Jim chuckled. "I said it to my family a hundred times and it didn't help. They came, a few dozens.. Did I tell you the only reason I escaped is because they were too busy eating my family?"

:: ::

"You two are not doing it." Rick was talking to Glenn.

"Even I don't think it's a good idea and I don't even like you two much." Daryl looked at them.

"It'll be alright." Riley was talking.

"If a big group were to go, we'd be slow and easy to spot. Daryl, me and Riley wait in this alley. " Glenn was looking at a drawing he made of Atlanta with chalk. "T dog and Rick wait here where we first met you two." He looked at Riley and Rick.

"Separating?" Rick questioned.

"We might not be able to return the same way, Walkers might cut us off." Glenn looked at them.

"Hey what did you do before all this?" Daryl looked at Glenn.

"Delivered pizzas. Why?" Glenn looked back. Rick and Daryl exchanged an impressed glance.

:: ::

Outside, Glenn, Riley, and Daryl climbed down the ladder into the alley.

"You got balls for a chinaman." Daryl whispered.

"I'm Korean." Glenn and Riley ran off.

They snuck to the bag and retrieved it, running back to Daryl. When they got there they saw two men beating Daryl. They spotted Glenn and Riley.

"The bag!" One of them screamed as they ran to Glenn and Riley.

Glenn and Riley tried to run but were grabbed. Just then, Daryl shot one of the men in the ass with the crossbow. Glenn and Riley were thrown into the car and it sped away.

:: ::

Shane and Brian knelt by a tied up Jim.

"Want a drink?" Shane asked.

"Sure..." Jim looked at them.

Shane brought the bucket to Jim's lips and he drank.

"How long you gonna keep me like this?" Jim asked.

"As long as it takes." Brian answered.

"You remember why you were digging?" Dale walked up.

"No. All I know is I saw it in a dream." Jim looked confused.

:: ::

When Rick and the group arrived at the nursing home, Riley and Glenn were pushed onto the roof.

"You come back with Miguel and my bag of guns, and we make the deal. You come back lock and loaded, we see which side spills more blood." G was saying.

:: ::

When Rick, T dog, and Daryl found Riley and Glenn they were helping out an old man who was having trouble breathing.

Guillermo showed the group to a room where they had a discussion.

"When shit turned to hell, all the staff left these old people to die." G was saying. "Me and Felipe were the only ones to stay, we thought you were gonna hurt us."

"were not like that." Rick looked at him.

"How was I to know? My people get attacked, you show up with Miguel prisoner? Appearances." G shrugged.

"We are sorry." Riley bowed.

"I accept your apology." G nodded.

Rick left G with a shotgun and rifle then the group left.

:: ::

Back at where they left the van, they saw it was missing.

"Where..." Riley began.

"Who took out van?" Daryl looked around.

"Merle." Rick spoke.

"He's gonna be taking some vengeance back to camp!" Daryl began walking back to camp.

:: ::

Shane and Carl knelt by Jim. Brian was already near him.

"How you feelin' Jim?" Shane looked at him.

"Better, more myself now." Jim smiled.

"I hope there's no hard feelings." Shane said empathetically.

"There's not any." Jim reassured him.

"Why don't you come to the fish fry with us?" Shane untied him.

:: ::

"I have to pee." Amy said as she stood to walk away.

"Seriously? Were out of toilet paper?" Amy complained as she exited the RV.

As she closed the door of the RV, a Walker bit her arm, ripping away a big chink of flesh. Andrea turned and ran to her. Everyone in the camp ran to get their weapons, killing Walkers left and right. Shane began shooting his shotgun at a Walkers. Rick and the group heard the gunshots.

"Holy frick..." Riley mumbled as the group ran to the camp.

When they got there, they began killing Walkers, until there was none left.

"Amy... Amy... No! No!" Andrea was holding her sister and crying.

"I remember my dream now. Why I dug those holes..." Jim looked down.


	3. Chapter 3: Wildfire

**AN: -Spoiler- I'm planning for a really good friendship between Brian and Shane, and Brian absolutely hates Rick after he found out Rick killed Shane. Maybe Brian will try to kill Rick, i don't know.**

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Lori and Brian knelt by Andrea.

"We need to deal with this Andrea..." Lori was saying. No reply.

"Leave her be." Brian was walking off with Lori following.

:: ::

"Just take the shot. From here. Into the brain. Hell, I could hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance." Daryl crossed his arms.

"It's her choice." Riley looked at the two.

"That girl will wake any minute and eat Andrea..." Brian shook his head.

:: ::

"We don't burn them! We bury our people!" Glenn was tearing up.

Brian, Morales, and Daryl lifted the body of one of the casualties. Daryl turned to walk.

"You left my brother to die up there! You had this coming!" Daryl stormed off.

:: ::

"He's bit! Jim was bit!" Jacqui suddenly alerted everyone.

"Show us." Daryl walked up.

"I'm fine! Really. I'm fine." Jim smiled innocently.

T dog and Brian grabbed him from behind, lifting his shirt revealing a large bite.

:: ::

"I say we just kill him and the dead girl. Be done with it." Daryl was holding a pickaxe.

"Would you want that if it were you?" Shane looked at him.

"Yeah and I'd thank you while you did it." Daryl glared at Shane.

"Let's just go over to the C.D.C. I heard they were looking for a cure." Rick looked at everyone.

"You go to the C.D.C. I'm dealing with this now." Daryl ran at Jim,'lifting the pickaxe to strike.

"Put it down. We don't kill the living." Rick put a gun to his head.

"Funny. Coming from a guy who just put a gun to my head." Daryl dropped the pickaxe.

:: ::

Suddenly everyone heard a gunshot and turned to see Andrea holding a gun, and crying over a Walker Amy that had a bullet in its head.

:: ::

"I still think it's a mistake not burning the bodies." Daryl got out of a pickup truck that drove up. "Chinaman gets all emotional. And we just listen? Are there no rules?"

"There are no rules." Rick looked at him.

"That's the problem." Lori sighed.

"Who should be nominated as leader?" Riley walked up.

"I think it would be me." Rick looked at everyone. No one countered.

:: ::

"You need anything?" Lori asked as she walked up to Jim, Carol, Brian, and Rick.

"More water?" Jim looked at her.

"Sure. Carol help me?" Lori and Carol left the RV.

"You hear that noise?" Jim asked when they left. "That's God laughing while you make plans."

"Don't... Don't say that. Your gonna make it through this." Brian looked down at him.

"Dont lie to me..." Jim coughed.

:: ::

Riley, Shane, and Rick were walking in the woods, hunting Walkers.

"You'd feel different if it was your family." Rick looked at Shane.

"What did you say to me? I kept them safe. Protected them like they were my own." Shane walked to Rick. Riley held Shane back, afraid he might try to hurt Rick. "Don't touch me!"

Riley let go and backed away.

"I know Shane. And I can never repay you." Rick looked at his friend.

A branch snapped and Rick and Riley took off another way opposite of Shane, looking for Walkers. Riley turned and saw Shane aiming his shotgun at Rick. Shane put a finger to his lips, warning Riley to silence.

"Come on, man. Let's go!" Shane called to them.

:: ::

"I trust Rick. I trust his instincts. We are going to the C.D.C." Shane was saying to everyone. "So those of you that agree, we are moving first thing in the morning."

Everyone exchanged glances.

:: ::

"Were uh... We're not going. We got family in Birmingham, we want to be with our people." Morales was saying.

"You sure?" Rick looked at them.

"Yes." Morales nodded.

"Channel 40 if you change your mind." Rick handed him a .357 and a box of ammo half full.

"Good Luck, man." Shane shook his hand.

"You too." Morales smiled.

Everyone began driving away from the rock quarry they were at. Riley was in the RV. Brian was with Shane in his car.

:: ::

The RV suddenly stopped. And everyone got out of the cars.

"What's going on?" Riley walked to Dale and Rick.

"Told you it wasn't gonna last long on that hose." Dale sighed.

Jacqui ran out of the RV.

"Y'all it's bad. Its Jim. I don't think he can take anymore." She went back in and Rick and Riley followed.

"Just.. Leave me here, Rick... This ride... It's killing me..." Jim groaned.

"No... Not you Jim..." Riley began tearing up.

"I wanna be with my family..." Jim looked up.

"Their all dead... I don't think you know what your asking..." Rick knelt by him.

"I do know. This is my choice, not your failure..." Jim looked at Rick straight in the face.

:: ::

"We just leave him here? We take off? Man, I'm not sure I could live with that." Shane spoke to Rick.

"It's what he said he wants." Rick spoke.

"I agree with Shane..." Brian crossed his arms.

"It's not your choice, either of yours." Lori spoke.

:: ::

Rick and Shane put Jim against a tree.

"Jim. Do you need this?" Rick showed him a gun.

"No. You'll need it... Im okay..." Jim smiled.

"I can't watch..." Riley walked back to the RV. He had grown to respect Jim in the short time he's known him.

:: ::

At the C.D.C everyone out of their vehicles, seeing dead bodies scattered everywhere.

"Gross..." Riley gagged.

Rick and Shane pounded on the door, to no avail.

"Nobody's here..." T dog whispered.

As they were backing away to leave, Rick saw the camera turn on.

"The camera... It moved!" Rick ran back to the door, Shane and Brian held him back.

"Your killing us! Your killing us!" Rick tried to run back.

The door opened and blinding white light escaped, blinding everyone.


	4. Chapter 4: TS-19

**AN: I updated chapter 1 to add the descriptions of Riley and Brian. And I literally JUST realized this. I'm a mix of them. I have the hair and eyes of Brian. I dress and act like Riley. Weird.**

* * *

Everyone scrambled to enter the safety of the C.D.C. Daryl and Riley covered the rear, and after everyone was safe inside, they heard a gun cock.

"Any of you infected?" A man holding a gun said.

"One of our group was. He didn't make it." Rick replied.

"Who are you? Why are you here?" The man stepped closer.

"We want a chance." Rick stared at him.

"That's asking an awful lot these days." The man said, and inspected every one of the survivors.

"I know." Rick said somberly.

"You'll all submit to a blood test, that's the price of admission." The man lowered the gun.

"Alright." Riley nodded at him.

"If you have anything to bring in, do it now. Once that door closes, it stays closed." The man pointed to the door, everyone ran to get their things.

After everyone finished getting in, the man ran a key card down a slot in a machine on the wall.

"VI, seal the entrance to the main gate." He spoke as the door closed.

"Rick Grimes." Rick extended his hand.

"Doctor Edwin Jenner." The man looked at him.

:: ::

In the elevator, Daryl looked at the doctor.

"Doctors always go around, packing heat like that?" He questioned, sarcastically.

"There were many left after this place shut down, I familiarized myself. But you all look harmless enough. Except you, I'll have to keep my eye on you." He looked down at Carl who just smiled.

:: ::

As they walked through a white hallway, Carol questioned the doctor.

"Are we underground?" she asked.

"Are you claustrophobic?" Jenner looked back at her.

"A little" She replied.

"Uh... Me too..." Riley looked around and rubbed his arm nervously.

"Try not to think about it." Jenner kept walking.

"VI turn on the lights in the big room." He said loudly, walking into a large room. "Welcome to zone 5."

"He's alone?" Brian whispered to Shane.

"Wheres the other doctors and staff." Rick looked at him.

"I'm it." Jenner sighed.

"Who's VI?" Riley walked closer.

"VI, say hello to our guests." Jenner spoke loudly. "Tell them... Welcome."

"Hello guests, welcome." A computerized women's voice spoke.

"I'm all that's left. Sorry." Jenner walked away.

:: ::

Riley was the first to submit to the blood test. After it was done, he stood.

"Hey Jenner?" Riley looked at him.

"Yes?" Jenner glanced up at him.

"I just... Want to know... Why did you let us in?" Riley looked down as he walked away.

"I didn't feel any threat." Jenner simply smiled.

:: ::

Andrea was the last one for the blood test.

"whats the point? If we were infected, we'd be running a fever." Andrea asked when he for done.

"I've already broken every rule in the book by letting you in here. At least let me be thorough." Jenner replied.

When she went to stand, she almost fell but Jacqui held her so she didn't.

"She okay?" Jenner asked them.

"She hasn't eaten in days, none of us have." Jacqui replied.

:: ::

At the dinner that night, everyone was laughing.

"Hey, you two ever drink?" Daryl asked Brian and Riley.'

"No." Riley instantly answered.

"Once, my fifteenth birthday, my dad tricked me to. He said it was a new kind of soda. I fell for it." Brian chuckled nervously.

Everyone laughed when Dale go Carl to take a sip of wine but spit it out.

"Stick to soda pop there pal." Shane chuckled.

"Not you chinaman. I wanna see how red your face can get." Daryl looked at Glenn and they both laughed.

Rick clinked the glass and stood.

"I don't think we've thanked our host properly." Rick looked at Jenner.

Jenner simply nodded at Rick. Shane looked at Jenner.

"So when the hell are you gonna tell us what happened here doc?" Shane asked him.

"Well,'when things got bad. Most people just left, went to be with their families. And when things got worst, the rest bolted. Many couldn't face walking out those doors. They... Opted out. There was a rash of suicides." Jenner looked down. "That was a bad time..."

"Why did you not leave?" Brian questioned.

"I just kept working. I wanted to do some good." Jenner looked up at him.

"Dude... You are such a buzzkill man." Glenn looked at Shane.

:: ::

"If you shower, go easy on the hot water." Jenner said as they were walking in a hallway.

"Hot water?" Glenn looked at everyone.

"That's what the man said..." T dog and Glenn ran to the showers.

:: ::

In the rec room, Riley and Brian were playing with Carl and Sophia. Lori walked in.

"Hey Lori." Riley smiled at her.

"Hey. Any good books Carol?" She asked Carol, who was sitting on the couch reading a book.

"Uh-huh." Carol smiled. "Let's go to sleep guys."

Carol, Carl, Sophia, Riley and Brian leave, leaving Lori alone. No one sees Riley left his sweat jacket on the couch and no one saw when Shane entered.

:: ::

Riley walked back to the room, and opened it, seeing Shane in front of Lori, his fingers on her pelvis.

"Shane what are you doing?!" Riley looked at him in horror.

"Nothing, kid." He pulled away and smiled innocently.

"Lori?" Riley looked at her.

Lori just stares at Riley with a feared and saddened look. Riley got to the conclusion that Shane hurt her, so Riley ran at Shane, tackling him to the ground, but Shane kicked him off him, pushing Riley against a wall, punching him across the face. Riley retaliated by pushing Shane away from him. Shane fell onto his behind, Riley punched him in the nose, and Shane stood, pushing Riley back into the wall, hitting him again. Riley punched him square in the face, giving him a black eye. The door suddenly slammed opened, stopping the fight. Brian ran in.

"What's going on?" He stared at them, pulling Shane away from Riley.

"He tried to Lori!" Riley screamed at Brian.

"Shane's too nice to do shit like that." Brian walked off with Shane.

:: ::

At breakfast the next morning. Shane walked in, and T dog noticed his face.

"The hell happened to you?" T dog stared at him. "Your face?"

"Musta done it in my sleep." Shane chuckled but glared at Riley, who simply shrugged with a smile.

"never seen you do that before." Rick looked at him.

"Me too." He looked at Riley again with an annoyed look.

"Morning." Jenner said as he walked in.

"Doc, I don't mean to slam you with questions first thing but-" Dale looked at him.

"But you will." Jenner said sarcastically.

"We didn't come for the eggs." Andrea looked at him.

:: ::

They all entered Zone 5.

"Give me playback of TS-19." Jenner said to VI.

"Playback of TS-19." VI spoke, as a X-ray of a human skull appeared on a big screen. It zoomed in to bright blue lights.

"What are those lights?" Shane asked.

"Their a persons life. Who you are, who you would ever be." Jenner answered. "Somewhere in all that wiring is you. The thing that's makes you unique. And Human."

"You don't make sense ever?" Daryl asked.

"Those are synapses. Electric impulses in the brain. They determine everything a person does, from the moment of birth , to the moment of death." Jenner spoke.

"A vigil?" Rick stepped closer.

"The playback." Jenner said.

"Who died?" Brian walked closer.

"Test subject 19. She was bitten. She volunteered to have us record her transformation." Jenner looked at the screen. "VI scan forward to the first event."

"Scanning to first event." VI said.

They all saw the stem of the brain darken till it was pitch black, and the breathing of the x-Ray stopped.

"It invades the brain like meningitis, the brain goes into shut down." Jenner pointed at the screen. "Then the major organs... Then death. Everything you were, and ever will be. Gone."

"She lost somebody two days ago. Her sister." Lori motioned to Andrea who walked away.

"I lost somebody too. I know how devastating it is." Jenner looked at Andrea. "Scan to second event."

"Scanning to second event." VI said.

"The resurrection time varies greatly, the shortest was 3 minutes, the longest was 8 hours." Jenner looked at the screen. "In the Case of this patient, it was 2 hours, 1 minute, 7 seconds."

Red wires started growing around the brain.

"It restarts the brain?" Lori walked closer.

"No. Just the brain stem. Basically, it gets them up and moving." Jenner replied.

A line went across the screen and into the x-ray's head.

"what was that doctor?" Riley walked closer.

"He shot his patient. Didn't you?" Andrea looked at him.

"VI, power down the computers and work stations." Jenner spoke, ignoring Andrea.

"Powering down computers and workstations." VI spoke.

"You have no idea what this is, do you?" Andrea accused.

"Could be parasitic..." Jenner looked at her.

"Or the wrath of God?" Jacqui said sarcastically.

"There is that." Jenner sighed.

"I hate to ask another question doctor, but that clock." Dale said, pointing to a huge clock counting backwards. "It's counting backwards. What happens at zero?"

"Umm... The basement generators, they run out of fuel." Jenner walked away.

"What then?" Brian walked to him. His heart was racing from the knowledge he just gained.

"VI, what happens when the generators run out?" Rick asked the computer.

"When the power runs out, facility wide decontamination will occur." VI answered.

:: ::

Rick, Shane, T dog, Glenn and Brian ran to the basement.

"What does decontamination mean?!" Brian looked at them as they ran.

"Hell if I know." Shane scoffed.

As they reached the generators, Brian, Shane, and Rick knelt by a generator as the power shut down.

:: ::

"Zone 5 is shutting itself down." Jenner said as he walked back to zone 5.

"What do you mean doctor?" Riley walked to him, his nose still bruised from his brawl with Shane.

Rick, Glenn, Shane, t dog, and Brian reunited with them as they returned from the generators.

"Everyone grab your things. We are getting out of here, NOW!" Rick ordered. An alarm sounded.

"What?" Riley looked around, as the doors slid shut, locking all of them in.

"You son of a bitch!" Daryl ran at Jenner.

"Shane! Brian!" Rick ordered them and they held Daryl Back.

"If you killed him, he won't be able to open the doors." Brian whispered.

"It's better this way." Jenner stood.

"What is? What happens in 28 minutes?!" Rick asked him. He just sat down, and typed on his computer.

Shane smacked him on the back of the head, angering him.

"You know what this place is?! We protected the public from very nasty stuff! things you wouldn't want getting out. Ever! Weaponized smallpox! Ebola strains that would wipe out half the country!" Jenner screamed at everyone. "In a chance of a power failure, the air sets itself on fire. No pain, an end to suffering..."

Shane, Riley and Daryl began pounding on the doors with all their might.

"No use. Those are built to survive a rocket launcher." Jenner looked at their efforts.

"Well your head ain't!" Daryl ran at him, but Riley and Rick held him back.

"That's it." Shane said and grabbed his shotgun, aiming at Jenner. "Open the doors or I blow your head off!"

"You kill him we will never get out!" Rick ran to him. Shane yelled and shot a few computers.

"Shane!" Rick wrestled the gun from his grasp and pinned him down.

"i think your lying." Rick stood when Shane gave up. "About no hope. Your lying.

"Im not." Jenner looked at him.

"If that were true, you woulda left with the others." Rick looked at him. "Why did you stay?"

"I made a promise." Jenner stood. "To her. To my wife!"

"Test subject 19 was your wife..." Lori stared at him. "Let us have a chance..."

"I can't open topside." Jenner unlocked the doors Daryl was still trying to bust open.

"Let's go!" Riley ran out and everyone followed.

"I'm staying..." Jacqui nodded.

"but that's crazy!" t dog started.

"No! It's completely sane! For the first time in a long time! I'm not ending up like Jim or Amy! There's no time to argue, not if you want to get out!" Jacqui walked off, silently sobbing and Glenn pulled t dog away.

"Me too." Andrea sat down.

"No Andrea..." Dale walked to her.

:: ::

Rick and Shane were attacking the windows outside.

"I have something that may help you." Carol said, pulling a grenade out of her purse. "Found this in your pants while doing your laundry."

Rick blew up the window with it. Everyone ran out and got into their vehicles, when they looked back. Dale and Andrea were climbing out.

"Get down!" Riley screamed as they ran for cover as the building blew up. They were okay apart from some scratches.

They all drove away from the fire rising into the sky. trying to leave the memories of Jenner and Jacqui behind.

* * *

**AN: that story about Brian drinking on his 15th birthday... It was actually a true story about me and my dad on my 15th birthday XD**


	5. Chapter 5: What Lies Ahead

**AN: please review.**

* * *

The RV suddenly stopped on the highway, the road was blocked by overturned vehicles.

"What's going on Dale?" Riley walked up to him, he had been talking to Andrea and Shane in the RV, Shane seemed to have forgotten their little brawl, but Riley sure as hell didn't.

"Roads blocked." Dale slammed his fist on the steering wheel.

Daryl rode up on his motorcycle. Dale looked out the window at him.

"See a way through?" Dale called to him. Daryl simply nodded and turned to drive back through the wreckage.

"Maybe we should just go back." Glenn looked at Dale.

"Can't spare the fuel." Dale replied.

The engine of the RV suddenly smoked and turned off. Everyone got out of their vehicles.

"Were stuck in the middle of nowhere..." Dale opened the engine but saw Daryl looting through cars. "Ok that was dumb."

"This is a graveyard. I don't know how I feel about this..." Lori looked at everyone.

"I agree with her." Riley spoke.

Riley went to help Lori, Carol, Carl, and Sophia search the cars, while Brian helped Glenn and Dale fix the RV.

"Riley, you watch Carl and Sophia okay?" Lori looked at him.

"Alright."' He smiled and went with them.

"Everyone get down!" Rick ran to them, and hid under a car.

Riley slid under a car by himself, but made sure Carl and Sophia were within arms reach. Brian hid on the roof of the RV with Dale. There was no sight of T dog, Daryl, or Andrea.

After a little bit, Sophia scooted out from under her car but got saw by two Walkers. She fled into the woods and was being chased, Rick and Riley chased after her.

:: ::

In the forest, Rick caught up to and grabbed Sophia, and began running away, Riley close behind in case the Walkers catch up. Rick sets her by a small pond cave.

"Sophia hide here while we lure the Walkers away." Rick knelt by her.

"No no no..." Sophia was crying.

"Just listen, I promised your mom I'd protect you and I will." Riley looked down at her.

:: ::

They return without Sophia.

"Wheres my baby?" Carol sobbed, looking at them.

"We left her near a pond in a safe cave, and when we returned... She wasn't there..."'Riley looked ashamed, having failed protecting her.

"I told you to protect them!" Lori accused.

"Don't yell at Riley, it was my idea to leave her there!" Rick looked at his wife.

:: ::

Riley, Rick, Shane, Glenn, and Daryl made their way back to the pond.

"You sure it was here?" Daryl knelt by the cave opening.

"She was gone by the time we returned." Rick answered and sighed. "I told her to run if I don't return and keep the sun on her left shoulder."

"She was terrified, you gotta wonder how much of what we said stuck." Riley looked down ashamed. "I shoulda stayed with her and waited for your return..."

"It's not yours or anybody's fault here Riley. Okay?" Rick looked at him sympathetically.

"But... Okay..." Riley groaned.

"I see a trail. Did like you said, went back to the highway." Daryl was kneeling by tracks.

:: ::

They had followed the trail, then Daryl stopped.

"Was doing fine till about here, veered off the trail to here." Daryl pointed right.

"Why?! Did she see a Walker?" Riley looked nervous.

"No. There's only one trail. " Daryl replied.

"Okay, Shane, Riley, Glenn. Return to the highway, keep everybody calm." Rick looked at them.

"No... I'm going with you and Daryl." Riley stood his ground but Shane pulled him away against his will.

:: ::

"Why aren't we all out there looking?" Carol looked at Shane and Riley.

"Daryl picked up her track, their on it. They'll bring her back. I promise." Riley reassured her.

"Oh? Like you promised to protect Carl and Sophia?" Lori accused him.

"There was nothing I could do!" Riley cried.

"Don't blame him Lori. He did all he could." Shane stepped forward. Riley looked at him, shocked that Shane was standing up to him.

"No he didn't." She crossed her arms and sighed.

"Stop being a bitch and listen to Shane." Brian walked up.

Lori walked away, pissed at Brian, Shane, and Riley.

:: ::

Rick and Daryl return without Sophia.

"You didn't find her?" Carol sobbed.

"We can't keep searching at night. We'll just be tripping over ourselves." Daryl added in.

"Is that blood?" Carol looked at Daryl's pants.

"We had a run in with a Walker. Cut that son of a bitch open, made sure he wasn't near Sophia." Daryl looked at her, sympathetically.

"How could you two be so heartless as to leave her out there on her own!" Carol sat down and looked at Rick and Riley.

"Those walkers were on us. I had to draw them off." Rick looked at her. "We had no choice Carol."

"I'm going to look for her." Riley began walking back to the woods.

"No! Were picking up the search tomorrow!" Rick called after him.

:: ::

"I'm coming to look too." Carl looked at everyone as they were about to leave to go find Sophia.

"Carl..." Riley began.

"What? You think you'll lose me like you did Sophia?" Carl looked at him. Riley took a step back shocked.

"For the last time, it's not his fault." Rick knelt by Carl.

"Fine, but I'm coming." Carl crossed his arms.

"Alright, I can't argue." Rick walked off with Carl following.

::

Daryl and Shane spotted a tent in the middle of the woods.

"She could be in there." Shane looked at it.

"Could be anything in there." Daryl said as him, Rick, and Shane lowly walked closer.

"Carol..." Rick motioned for her to come to the tent. "If it is Sophia she should hear your voice first."

"Sophia?" She called out softly. No reply.

Daryl opened the tent and entered then exited, shaking his head sadly.

Suddenly a bell sounded. Everyone ran to the noise.

"It could be Sophia!"Brian managed between breaths.

:: ::

They found a church, and ran to the doors, slowly opening them. Three Walkers were inside and stood when they spotted the group. Rick stabbed one in the forehead with a machete, Shane stabbed one straight through with a knife, and Daryl killed the last with a single swipe from a hatchet.

"this is the wrong church. There's no steeple Rick." Shane whispered to him but another bell sounded and they all ran outside.

Glenn stopped the bell by turning off a switch outside.

"It's on a timer..." He mumbled.

Carol went back inside to pray for Sophia, while everyone waited for her.

:: ::

"Me, Rick, Riley, and Carl are gonna search this area another hour or so, just to be thorough. You all go back." Shane was saying.

:: ::

In the forest everyone took a small break.

"The idea is to whittle us down into smaller and smaller groups." Daryl sighed.

"Their gonna find her carol. Okay?" Brian put a hand on her shoulder reassuringly.

:: ::

A deer crossed their path but Rick told Shane not to shoot as Carl approached it. When he was within 10 feet a shot was heard and Carl fell back, having been shot.

"No! No no no no!'" Rick and Shane ran to him.

"I failed to protect two kids..." Riley looked shocked at what just happened.

* * *

**AN: This chapter was also meant to build up Rileys character. I'm gonna do a chapter for Brian soon too.**


	6. Chapter 6:Bloodletting

**AN: So I might change the cannon, i don't know. Maybe make it so Shane lives?**

* * *

Rick carried Carl through a field littered with grass, Shane, Riley, and a unnamed man in a hunting coat, holding a gun.

"How much farther!" Rick screamed back at him in.

"Another quarter mile! Talk to Hershel!" The man called back to Rick, and fell to his knees, exhausted fro, running.

"Come on, shithead!" Shane screamed at him, as Shane and Riley half-carried, half-dragged the man.

Rick was the first to reach a wired fence. Carrying Carl to a farm.

An old man, a cute blonde teen, a tall teen boy, a woman with blonde hair, and a brunette girl in her 20s step out of the farm house.

"Was he bit?" The old man walked to Rick.

"No he was shot, by your man!" Rick stopped by him. "He said find Hershel, is that you?"

"Otis? Bring him inside." The old man nodded. "Patricia I need the medkit."

The blonde woman went to another room. Shane, Riley, and Otis finally caught up to Rick.

"Maggie we need painkillers." Hershel set Carl down on a mattress. The brunette girl ran off to get the medicine. "Let us handle him. Just go."

:: ::

Rick, Shane, and Riley were in the living room, waiting to hear from Hershel.

"It's all my fault..." Rick was mumbling.

"No. You wouldn't let me feel guilty about Sophia, I won't let you feel guilty about Carl." Riley looked at him sternly.

"It's all my fault though..." Rick looked at the ground.

"No. If you keep feeling guilty, you'll never get that monkey off your back, Rick." Shane looked at him.

"little girl gets lost in the woods, you search for her. Simple." Rick breathed heavy. "It should be me lying in there. Not him."

"You made it through a coma from a gunshot, so will he." Shane reassured him.

The door opened and Maggie ran out.

"Rick!" She ran back in and Rick, Riley, and Shan followed.

"You two hold him down." Hershel looked at Riley and Shane who held Carl down, he was crying and screaming, having woken and seeing a crowbar in his body.

The screaming got louder and louder.

"Stop it! Your killing him!" Rick screamed at Hershel.

"Do you want him to live Rick?" Hershel kept trying to remove the bullet fragments.

:: ::

"Lori needs to know..." Rick sat down on a chair. He sounded weakened.

"To attempt this surgery, we need to put him under. He won't be able to breathe on his own." Hershel walked out.

"Seems like you need a respirator." Otis looked at Hershel.

"There's a school near here. Go there and get it."'Hershel looked at Otis.

"I'm going too." Shane stood.

"Where is your wife?" Maggie looked at Rick.

:: ::

Andrea was tackled by a walker, and suddenly everyone heard hooves galloping. A woman on a horse ran by and swiped the walkers head off.

"Lori? Lori Grimes?" Maggie looked at her. "Carls been shot. Come with me. Go up a few miles, you will see a farm. Names Greene."

She rode back with Lori.

:: ::

Lori and Maggie rode up as Rick and Riley exited the house.

"Is Carl okay?" Lori ran to him, but Rick stares blankly at her.

"I'm sorry Lori..." Riley started

"You failed to protect two kids!" She yelled at Riley.

"Lori it's not his fault..." Rick managed.

Hershel explains to Lori what happened and that Shane and Otis ran for supplies.

* * *

**An: sorry this chapters so short, nothing really happened in it.**


	7. Chapter 7: Save the Last One

**AN: Please review**

* * *

"Shane's gonna return with that medical supplies for Carl..." Rick looked at his wife. Worry in his voice.

"I still can't believe you brought that _bastard_ with you... It's _his_ fault!" Lori looked at Riley with hate in her eyes.

"There was no way we coulda prevented it..:" Riley began.

"Just shut up!" Lori suddenly screamed at him, and he shut up.

:: ::

Glenn, T dog, and Brian rode up at the Greene house. They walked up to the house, cautiously, not sure if they just barge in or ring the bell.

"Did you close the gate up the rode?" A familiar female voice spoke calmly

"Yes ma'am..." Brian bowed.

"Don't call me ma'am." Maggie said sarcastically. She looked at T dogs bandaged arm.

"Don't worry it's not a bite. I cut myself though, badly..." T dog answered, pain in his voice.

"We'll have that looked at. Come on." She brought him, Glenn, and Brian inside.

:: ::

They entered Carl's room and saw Rick, Lori, and Riley standing at the foot of Carls bed, silently praying he wakes up.

"I still can't believe you'd risk bringing the kid who practically killed Sophia..." Lori was mumbling.

"It's not his fault Lori..." Rick whispered

She didn't reply, she just stared at Carl, who was laying motionless.

"We need to operate on him without the respirator, if Shane doesn't return soon..." Hershel knelt by Carl.

:: ::

Outside, Lori,'Rick, and Riley were alone.

"Maybe this is for the best..." Lori began.

"No. Don't you dare even start that, Lori! You can't just... Just... Blame me for all this bullcrap that's happened, and then just give up!" Riley practically yelled at her.

"Riley..." Lori was tearing up.

"Lori. Don't you dare give up." Rick looked at her.

:: ::

Rick, Lori, and Riley heard Carl coughing. They ran into the room and knelt by him.

"Where are we..." He sounded weak.

"That's Hershel..." Rick motioned to the old man beside the bed. "We are in his house... You had an accident..."

"It hurts... A lot..." Carl coughed.

"We know..." Riley gently patted his head and earned himself a swat from Lori.

"Don't touch him... Ever again!" Lori whispered angrily at Riley.

"Ok... I'm sorry... Jeez..." Riley walked out with a defeated look on his face.

On his way out he heard Lori and Rick gasp, he turned around and saw Carl shaking violently.

"He's having a seizure... He has to go through it, you can't stop it or he could get hurt." Hershel backed away from him.

"You can't stop him?" Lori looked at the old man and sounded angered even more.

:: ::

"Merle Dixon? He your friend with the antibiotics?" Patricia looked at Glenn, t dog, and Brian while she was stitching up t dogs arm.

"We wouldn't really call him a friend..." T dog groaned from pain.

"He your friend today. He just saved your life." Patricia finished stitching him.

:: ::

"We need to do the operation now." Hershel spoke calmly to Rick and Lori.

"Let him do it... " Riley shrugged sadly, defeated.

Patricia and Hershel rolled in a table and set Carl on top of it. As Hershel was about to start, they heard a truck approaching. Rick looked out the window and saw Shane coming back but without Otis.

"Wheres Otis?" Hershel looked at Shane.

"He didn't make it..." Shane sounded saddened.

"No one tells Patricia. Not till after! I need her." Hershel went back inside with everyone but Rick, Shane, and Riley following.

Rick and Riley hugged Shane tightly.

"They blocked us at every turn, we were down to 10 rounds... Otis told me to go, he would cover so that's what I did... But when I looked back... He... He..." Shane's voice caught in his throat.

:: ::

Maggie, Glenn, and Brian were in the kitchen. Maggie was at the kitchen table crying.

"I've known Otis since we were kids... He ran this farm before my mom died..." Maggie managed between sobs.

"Who else died?" Glenn walked to pictures on the fridge.

"My mom... My step brother..." Maggie walked to them and pointed at pictures.

:: ::

"He seems to be okay." Hershel walked to Rick, Riley, and Lori.

"He's gonna live?" Riley looked relieved

"Yes... Thanks to Otis and Shane..." Hershel sighed "I'm going to tell Patricia."

Rick and Hershel walked in and everyone heard Patricia crying loudly.


	8. Chapter 8:Cherokee Rose

**AN: posting two chapters close together cuz I'm busy later.**

* * *

A motorcycle approached, and everyone saw Daryl approaching with Dale, Carol, and Andrea close behind.

:: ::

"His fevers gone down." Hershel sounded pleased.

"Thats good..." Riley looked down at Carl and smiled.

"Sophia? Is she okay..." Carl woke up.

"She's fine..." Rick lied. "Rest..."

"Their here." T dog ran in.

:: ::

"How's he?" Dale looked at Rick when he exited.

"Fine. Thanks to Hershel and his people... And Shane..." Rick looked at Shane.

:: ::

"Praise be to Otis. For his span of years, his abundance of character. Who risked his life to save a child's." Hershel said sadly, at Otis' funeral.

"Shane, share with us Otis' final moments..." Patricia begged him.

"We were about done. Almost out of ammo. We were down to pistols by then. Otis shoved me ahead and told me to run, and when I looked back..." Shane stopped talking. "He saved both of our lives... mine and Carl..."

:: ::

"How long has this girl been lost?" Hershel set out a map.

"3 days." Shane answered.

"Rick and Shane can't go. Their weakened." Hershel sighed.

"Guess its just me." Daryl looked at the map. "I'm going back to the creek."

"I'm going with." Brian looked at him.

"Alright, don't slow me down though." Daryl walked off.

"Ok start tomorrow." Rick nodded at them.

"There's a pharmacy down the road. I'll go and get some medicine there." Maggie walked off.

Maggie and Glenn left to go get the antibiotics.

:: ::

"Hey Shane?" Brian walked up with Riley.

"Yeah?" He looked up from the gun bag.

"When you teach everyone else how to shoot. Do you mind teaching us?" Brian asked.

"Sure bud." Shane smiled at them. "you too Riley?"

"Yes sir..." Riley bowed.

"Alright." Shane looked back down at the guns, and as Brian and Riley walked away, Andrea walked to Shane but no one saw.

:: ::

"Daryl?" Rick walked to Daryl and Brian. "You two okay going alone?"

"Its better in smaller groups... It's faster." Brian answered.

"You guys don't owe us anything. You don't have to do this." Rick started.

"Someone has to." Brian said as he and Daryl walked off.

:: ::

Riley, Dale, and T dog went to fetch water at the well.

"What's that?!" Riley ran to a hole in the ground where the water goes.

:: ::

"We've got us a swimmer." Dale looked into the hole.

"Has long has it been down there?" Riley looked at Dale.

"Hard to say. We need to get it out. Riley's the lightest " Andrea looked At Riley.

"Oh god..." Riley groaned.

:: ::

Riley sat on the edge of the well, a rope tied around his waist.

"You'll be okay, bud." Shane pat his back.

"That makes me feel a lot better..." Riley said sarcastically.

Riley lowered himself in and when he was pretty deep he suddenly got thrown closer to the Walker in the well.

"GET ME OUT YOU IDIOTS!" Riley screamed at them.

After a lot of struggle, Riley was finally yanked out.

"Were back to the drawing board." Shane sighed.

"Says you..." Riley sat up and smirked.

:: ::

Daryl and Brian found a house in the middle of the forest.

"Might be in there." Brian walked to it.

"Could be anything in there." Daryl followed.

In the kitchen of the house they saw a small living space in the cupboard.

"Small enough for her..." Brian started.

"Yeah, but don't get your hopes up kid." Daryl stared at Brian.

Daryl and Brian exited through the back door and called Sophia's name a few times.

:: ::

Looking into the well, Shane saw that Riley had tied a rope around the Walkers chest. Everyone tried to pull up the Walker and when it was almost out it got ripped in half, all it's guts falling into the water. T dog busted its skull open.

"Lets seal off this well." Shane sighed.

"Good idea." Dale nodded.

:: ::

"I'll sit with him. You guys can leave." Rick sat beside Carl, and Lori left the room bur Riley stayed with him.

"This is partially my fault, I'm staying." Riley stood his ground.

"This isn't your fault Riley... You don't have to-" Rick was cut off.

"No, I'm staying. I owe him that." Riley crossee his arms.

"Fine." Rick sighed.

"Hey dad?" Carl's eyes opened. "Mom told me we didn't find Sophia yet..."

"I'm sorry I lied..." Rick sighed.

"It's okay... I love you dad..." Carl went back to sleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Chupacabra

**AN: on weekdays when I have school only one chapter a day.**

* * *

The next morning, Riley woke, he had been sleeping under a tree near the RV. Brian awoke and walked to Rick, who set down a map of the forest. Riley walked to them.

"If she made it past the farmhouse, she may have gone further out." Rick was saying.

"Okay, I'm going to the forest alone today." Brian looked at them.

"We need you here Brian." Rick looked at him sternly.

"I'm going alone, gonna take a horse." Daryl walked off.

"You gonna find that chupacabra?" T dog chuckled.

"Chupacabra?" Riley looked at Daryl.

"His first night at camp Daryl said he found a Chupacabra while hunting squirrels." Dale walked up.

"You believe in a blood-sucking dog?" Jimmy looked at Daryl with a sort of amused look.

"You believe in dead people walking around?" Daryl kept walking.

:: ::

"You think we should abandon the search?" Rick looked at Shane.

"Yeah, it's getting us nowhere." Shane sighed. "It's math man, you got 74 hours, after that, your looking for a body."

"Whats that?" Riley pointed to a blue handkerchief on a tree.

"Blue. Andrea and T dog. We must of wandered into their grid." Shane kept walking, Rick and Riley following.

:: ::

"I just had a long talk with Shane." Rick said to Riley and Lori when they returned. "He wants to call off the search."

"I think he's wrong." Riley crossed his arm.

"You don't get a say!"Lori looked angrily at him.

"Wow. Your a bitch." Riley finally said what he's been hiding for a long time. He walked away.

When he looked back, he saw a conversation happening.

"Mr. Grimes, my dad wants to speak with you." Beth said to Rick.

_Wow, she's sorta cute... For a farm girl, _Riley thought.

He just walked away, but couldn't get her image out of his head.

:: ::

"What's with the Annie Oakley routine?" Dale joked as he approached Andrea, who was ontop of the RV as a sniper. Brian was sitting beside her.

"I still don't know how to shoot Andrea." Brian looked at a pistol he was holding.

"Don't worry. Rick says Shane's a good teacher." She smiled at him.

"I sure hope so..." Brian smiled.

:: ::

"Dale? Do you think Andreas on her period?" Glenn stood and looked at Dale, Riley was sitting with Glenn and talking when he came in.

"Shh shh shh!" Dale quieted him down.

"I read some where when woman spend a lot of time together, their hormonal cycles line up..." Glenn stuttered.

"Who else is acting strange?" Dale looked at Glenn, who sat down.

"Maggie. First she was mean... Then she wanted to have sex, now she's mean again." Glenn sighed.

"She wanted to have sex? Man, please tell me you hit a home run!" Riley smiled at Glenn, who simply nodded.

"You didn't..." Dale looked disappointed. "Did it ever occur to you how her father might feel?"

"She's 22." Glenn tried to reason.

"He's our host." Dale sighed.

"Whatever." Glenn walked out.

:: ::

"Walker! Walker!" Andrea called out.

Rick, Riley, T dog, Shane, Brian, and Glenn ran to where Andrea saw the Walker. When they reached it, Rick held his pistol to its head. They were shocked.

"Is that Daryl?" Glenn asked.

"That's the third time you've pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull it or what?" Daryl glared. Rick lowered his gun.

Suddenly a gunshot was heard, and Daryl fell back, injured. Andrea had shot him, thinking he was a Walker.

"No!" Rick screamed and ran to Daryl. "No! No!"

:: ::

Rick, Shane, and Riley helped Daryl up.

"I was kidding..." Daryl grumbled.

While, Rick, Shane, and Riley carried Daryl, Brian and Glenn followed them but T dog lagged behind. Andrea and Dale ran up.

"Oh my god! Is he dead?!" Andrea looked worried.

"Just unconscious." Rick groaned. "Your bullet grazed him."

"Hey isn't this Sophia's doll?" T dog was holding a doll Daryl dropped when he got knocked back.

:: ::

"I just found her doll in the creek. Musta dropped it, crossing." Daryl was explaining after he woke up.

:: ::

Dale exited the house and sat in between Andrea and Brian.

"You okay?" He asked.

"I shot Daryl..." Andrea sighed.

"Don't be hard on yourself. We've all wanted to shoot Daryl." Dale spoke and Brian chuckled.

:: ::

At dinner that night, Riley sat beside Beth and Brian sat between Shane and Rick. Halfway through the meal, Riley glanced over at Beth and a slight smile began to appear. But he hid it the moment Hershel and Maggie looked up from their meal.

"Anyone know how to play a guitar?" Glenn suddenly stopped eaten and looked up. "Dale found a cool one. Someone has to know how to play."

"Otis did..." Patricia said after a moment.

"He was very good too." Hershel sighed.

:: ::

After dinner was done, Riley was helping Beth do the dishes. Halfway through he looked at her.

"Beth was it?" He choked.

"Yeah?" She looked at him, and he swore those eyes could of melted him right there and then.

_Don't be a pussy,_ he thought to himself.

"Uh... Never mind..." He chickened out.

"No. Tell me." She looked at him.

"Some other day, alright Beth?" He smiled and they finished washing dishes so he walked away.

_Some day, I hope is soon, _he thought.

* * *

**AN: so, yeah Beth and Riley are gonna be one couple. And Shane will live past the farm. Might die a heroic death, season 3 though.**


	10. Chapter 10: Secrets

**AN: chapter 11 is my fave ep in the entire series! Cant wait! I might not update this weekend though, I'm gonna be busy sorry...**

* * *

Andrea walked into Daryl's tent, where Daryl was laying down talking to Brian.

"I'm so sorry Daryl..." Andrea managed.

"It's kay, you were trying to protect the group. We're cool. But shoot me again and you'd best pray I'm dead." Daryl watched her walk out.

:: ::

"hey, peach boy!" Shane whistled to Glenn. Rick, Shane, Riley, Brian and Jimmy were around a map.

"She coulda dropped the doll at the farmhouse and the current brought it upstream to where Daryl found it." Rick was looking at the map. "She coulda gone further north."

"Up north is a closed down housing development." Jimmy looked at Rick.

"I'll go check it out." Shane stood.

"After gun training. See who you want to pick and choose wisely." Rick looked at him.

"We'd like to train too..." Beth said as her and Patricia walked up.

"Only Otis knew how to shoot. But he's dead so we need to know how to defend ourselves..." Patricia looked at Shane.

_Beth... She's so cute... I need to impress her at gun training_, Riley thought.

"Sure." Shane walked off.

:: ::

"How did this happen?" Lori put away a gun Carl had on him.

"I let him into the RV. It's my fault... He said you sent him for a walkie-talkie." Dale looked at her.

"So ontop of everything else, he lied?" Lori scoffed.

"He wants to learn how to shoot." Shane looked at Lori and Rick.

"Let him learn. I will make sure he doesn't shoot his eyes out." Riley looked at Carl and smiled, he's grown fond of the kid.

"Like you protected Sophia on the highway?" Lori glared at him.

"There was nothing we could do!" Riley retaliated.

"Shane's a good teacher." Rick changed the subject.

"Fine." Lori gave up and walked away.

:: ::

Riley and Brian got into vehicles and drove off with Shane, Rick, T dog, Carol, Jimmy, Carl, Beth, Patricia, and Andrea.

:: ::

"Now don't give me that gangster shit, man." T dog looked at Jimmy, who was holding the pistol sideways, like a gangster.

Riley was standing between Beth, and Carl. He only missed his mark the first shot he took. Brian missed the first two shots, and was between Andrea and Jimmy.

:: ::

"Brian?" Riley looked at his friend once they returned to camp And were alone.

"Yeah?" Brian looked up from a knife he was sharpening.

"You ever... Like a girl... But didn't know if she likes you too?" Riley didn't look at him.

"Ah, it's Beth ain't it? I saw those looks you've been giving her, man." Brian chuckled. "Just go for it. Be her 'knight in shining armor'."

"Thought I was hiding it..." Riley sighed.

"You're a horrble actor." Brian joked.

"You think she like me?" Riley looked up from his bat.

"She's been giving you looks when you ain't looking man. I've seen it." Brian smiled.

* * *

**AN: so, tell me what you think about Riley and Brian, in a review. And another OC is coming in season 3 probs.**


	11. Chapter 11:Pretty Much Dead a Already

**AN: finally another update, sorry btw I'm starting a new story. First chapter will either be on tonight or tomorrow sometime. It's gonna be called: Walking Dead: Before the Fall.**

* * *

Everyone was eating breakfast one morning, and Glenn stood and walked so he was standing in front of the group. Everyone looked up at him.

"So umm... The barn is full of Walkers." Glenn spoke somberly.

Everyone looked up at him, Shane with contempt, Rick with worry, Dale with satisfaction, Riley with anger, and Brian with disappointment.

:: ::

"You cannot tell me you're all right with this!" Shane walked away from the barn.

"I'm not but this is his land!" Rick kept looking at the barn, and kept listening to the moaning.

"Man, this is our lives!" Shane was pissed.

"Calm it, Shane..." Brian put his hand on Shane's shoulder but Shane pushed him away.

"Why must we stay!?" Shane screamed at Rick.

"Because my daughters still out there." Carol answered for him.

"We cannot leave Sophia, Shane." Riley crossed his arms, still feeling like he failed her.

" I am close to finding the girl! I just found her doll two days ago!" Daryl approached Shane.

"That's what you did, Daryl! You found a _doll_." Shane chuckled.

"Man, you don't know what the hell your talking about!" Daryl was getting annoyed.

"You know what? If Sophia saw you, all meth'd out with your buck knife and geek ears around your neck, she'd run i. the other direction!" Shane practically screamed.

Daryl suddenly ran at Shane but Rick and Brian blocked his way, whiley Riley and Glenn stopped Shane.

"Hershel sees those things in there as people. Sick people. His wife, his stepson." Dale walked to them.

"You knew?" Shane looked at him.

"Yesterday. I talked to Hershel." Dale looked at him.

"And you waited the night?" Shane seemed pissed.

"I thought we could survive one more night. We did." Dale sighed. "I was waiting till this morning to say something, but Glenn wanted to be the one."

Suddenly the Walkers started bashing at the door to the barn.

:: ::

Shane and Brian walked to the front of the barn, Shane shook the door violently, and it was attacked.

"Holy fuck..." Brian mumbled.

:: ::

Riley saw Dale entering the woods.

"Where you goin' Dale!?" Riley ran to meet him.

"Out." Dale did that innocent smile of his.

"Be careful alright?" Riley pat his arm and walked back to the house.

:: ::

Rick walked to Shane and Brian who were leaning against a tractor.

"What's the deal?" Brian looked up.

"Were negotiating." Rick sighed.

"Your nego- why would you want to stay here when it's not safe?" Shane sighed.

"We can make it safe!" Rick tried to make him understand.

"How we gonna do that?" Shane chuckled.

"We will." Rick looked at his partner. "Don't you understand?"

"No I don't!" Shane punched the tractor.

"Shane, Lori's pregnant!" Rick glared at his friend and walked away.

:: ::

Rick, Andrea, and Riley were looking at a map when Hershel and Jimmy walked to them.

"I need your help Rick." Hershel spoke.

"Count us in." Andrea spoke for Riley.

"I just need Rick." Hershel, Rick, and Jimmy walked off.

:: ::

"Whered he went?" Shane looked up at Glenn and Riley who were ontop of the RV.

"Who?" Glenn asked.

"Dale." Shane replied.

"I saw him go into the forest a while ago." Riley answered.

:: ::

Shane walked up to everyone. Riley stood from where he was talking to Beth. Brian stood from where he was talking to Carl.

"What's this?" Andrea noted the gun bag Shane had.

"Hershel's gonna have to understand." He gave a gun to Daryl, Glenn, T dog, Riley, and Brian.

"Oh shit..." T dog looked over to where Rick, Hershel, and Jimmy were pulling two Walkers on poles.

Everyone ran to the farm, where they headed.

"See what their holding onto?!" Shane yelled as he caught up.

"I see who I'm holding onto." Hershel replied.

"No man you don't..." Shane sighed.

"Shane let us put them in the barn then we can talk!" Rick yelled at him.

"Talk about what? Ain't gonna feel nothing for them, cuz all they do, they kill! These things, they killed Amy! They killed Otis! These things right here! Hey Hershel. Man, let me ask you something, could a living breathing person take this." Shane yelled as he pulled out his pistol.

He shot it three times in the chest.

"That's three rounds in the chest! Could a person whose alive, could they just take that!?" He shot it three more times. "That's it's hearts, it's lunges!"

"Enough, Shane!" Rick screamed. Riley finally caught up and stood beside Beth.

"Yeah man, your right it is enough." Shane walked closer and shot the Walker in the head. "Enough! Looking for a little girl whose gone! Enough! Living next to a barn full of things that are trying to kill us! Enough! Rick, it ain't like it was before. If you wanna live, if you wanna survive, you gotta fight for it. In talking right here, right now!"

Shane ran to the barn and started attacking it.

"Take the snare pole! Hershel! The snare pole!" Rick was screaming to Hershel. "Shane! Don't do this brother!"

"Stop Shane!" Riley screamed.

Shane finally broke the padlock off and opened the barn.

"Come on..." Shane pulled out his pistol as the Walkers stormed out.

Daryl, Andrea, Glenn, Shane, T dog, Riley , and Brian began shooting down Walkers. After they were all gone, Shane shot the one Rick was holding. a Everyone looked around, smiling but they heard one more set of footsteps. Another Walker walked out and everyone gasped, seeing it was Sophia.

"Sophia..." Riley stared, tearing .

"Sophia! Sophia!" Carol ran but Daryl grabbed her, holding her back.

Rick stepped forward, aimed his pistol and fired a single shot, ending Sophia.


	12. Chapter 12: Nebraska

**An: I'm finally home so I can update this story regulary.**

* * *

Everyone sighed and looked down at Sophia's body, as Carol ran to her, crying. Beth wiggled out of Riley's embrace and ran to her Walker mom and knelt by her, crying. Suddenly the Walker came alive, grabbing her wrists. Riley was on the scene quick enough and started stomping out the a Walkers brain. The Walker died in five kicks. He hugged Beth, and whispered soothingly in her ear, trying to calm her down.

Shane went and followed Beth, Hershel, Maggie, Jimmy, Riley, and Glenn. Rick and Brian tried to pull him back, but failed.

"We been combing these woods searching for that little girl, she was in there all along! You knew!" Shane was screaming.

"Otis musta put her in there before he died..." Hershel tried to defend himself.

"You think I believe bullshit?" Shane glared and stepped forward, but Maggie smacked him.

"Don't touch him! Haven't you done enough?!" Maggie yelled at Shane.

"It's okay Shane..." Brian began.

"Shut up." Shane watched the group walk inside.

:: ::

"Man, what do you do here?" Shane walked to Dale, Brian trying to pullip him back to the truck.

"Stop Shane." Brian glared.

"No man, what do you do? Fix up an RV? You don't do shit to keep us safe." Shane walked back to the truck and sighed, Turning it on and driving off with Brian.

:: ::

"The funerals starting." Riley walking in with Lori.

"Why should I go?" Carol sighed.

"It's your little girl." Daryl looked at her.

"That monster wasn't my girl." Carol teared up.

:: ::

Every one except Carol crowded around the three graves.

:: ::

"You can't tell me Shane was right!" Dale looked at Andrea, Brian, and Lori.

"He wasn't, it'll cost us with Hershel." Rick walked up.

"Shane was trying to protect us." Brian defended his friend.

"He killed Carol's daughter!" Lori looked at him.

"She was already dead, if we didn't find her, someone else may have died. Me, Riley, Glenn, or even Carl." Brian crossed his arms.

"He's got a point, Lori." Andrea looked at her.

:: ::

Riley was helping Beth clean dishes when she suddenly collapsed, he was quick though, as he caught her before she hit the floor. He carried her to her bedroom and gently laid her on the bed, looking at Maggie.

"She's in shock." Maggie sighed.

"Will she make it?" Riley looked down at the unconscious girl.

"We need Hershel. Where is he?" Glenn walked in.

"I don't know." Maggie looked down.

:: ::

Rick, Brian, and Glenn left to find Hershel.

They entered a bar, and saw Hershel sitting at a counter, drinking.

"Hershel!" Brian ran up to him.

"Whose with you?" Hershel didn't turn around.

"Glenn, and Rick." Brian looked at him.

"Maggie send Glenn?" Hershel sighed.

"He volunteered, he's good like that." Rick answered. "Beth needs you, she collapsed, she's in shock."

"Riley and Maggie with her?" Hershel looked at them.

"Yes, but she needs her dad." Rick sighed.

"She needs time to grieve. Like I shoulda let her weeks ago, I robbed her of that." Hershel glared.

"She needs you man!" Brian practically yelled.

"Calm it, Brian." Glenn soothed him.

"I'm not doing this anymore. Cleaning up after you." Rick leaned close to Hershel. "You know what the truth is? Death is death. It's always been there. Whether it's from heart attack, cancer, or a Walker. What's the difference? You didn't think it was hopeless before did you? And now there are people at home who need us. Even if it's just to give them a reason to go on. Even if we don't believe it ourselves. You know what? This... This isn't about us. About what we believe anymore. It's about them."

Suddenly the door opened and two guys walked in.

"Son of a bitch, their alive." One of them chuckled.

:: ::

They poured themselves drinks and sat down.

"Names Dave, the dick over there is Tony." One of the men said.

"Glenn, nice to meet some new faces." Glenn spoke.

"Rick Grimes, that's Hershel and Brian." Rick looked at the strangers. "We lost a lot of people today."

"Sorry to hear that. To new days and new friends." Dave lifted his wine glass. "Where you guys holed up?"

"A farm just outside of town." Brian answered.

"A farm? You take in survivors?" Dave chuckled.

"No, we don't." Rick sighed.

"You don't? Thats bullshit!" Tony screamed.

"Calm it Tony, no need for any bloodshed." Dave tried to calm his comrade.

Dave jumped over the counter and Rick stood so he was in between the two, and Dave put his gun on the counter to show he wasnt a threat. Dave reached for the gun after a few seconds, but Rick shot him in the head, then shot Tony twice in the chest then stepped closer, and finished Tony off with a headshot.


	13. Chapter 13: Triggerfinger

**AN: anyhow, season 3 is gonna suck, but I might make Brian transfer to Woodbury so I can type what's going on there.**

* * *

They all crowded around the corpse of Tony.

"You alright?" Rick asked**.**

"Yeah, Hershel? Glenn?" Brian answered. They both nodded.

"Let's go home." Hershel spoke, as they all walked back. They heard a car.

"Get down!" Rick hissed, as everyone ducked, trying to hide.

"Dave and Tony said over here." A man spoke.

"I'm telling you I heard shots." Another man spoke.

"Dave? Tony!?" A man screamed but was silenced by a slap.

"Keep your voice down!" The first man spoke.

"We're looking for Dave and Tony and no one checks the damn bar?" The second man sighed.

A man tried to push the door opened but Glenn held it back.

"Yo is anyone in there?! We don't want trouble!" A man called in. "We are just looking for our friends! This place is crawling with corpses! If you could help us not get killed, we'd really appreciate it!"

"Guard the door, if their in there, they may know where Dave and Tony are." Another man spoke.

"They Drew on us!" Rick called out. "We had no choice!"

"Damn it Rick..." BrIan mumbled.

Suddenly a shotgun shot through the window, and Rick stood, shooting out the window. He told Brian, Glenn, and Hershel to hide. Hershel slid Glenn his shotgun and slid Brian his pistol.

"We all know this isn't gonna end well for any of us! Just back off and no one else gets hurt!" Rick was trying to reason as he hid again.

Glenn hit Brian in the arm gently and pointed to a door. They both ran to it and slowly opened it, making it slowly down the stairs. They saw a few guys walk past the door and try to open it. Glenn shot at the window as a warning.

"Glenn! Brian!" Rick hissed.

"Were okay!" Glenn called.

:: ::

Hershel walked to Glenn and Brian.

"Rick wants you two to try for the car. I'll cover you." Hershel spoke.

"Try?" Glenn stared.

"You'll try, and succeed." Hershel tried to sound reassuring.

Brian and Glenn slowly opened the door and ran out. A man shot at the, but missed and was shot by Hershel. Glenn and Brian hid behind a dumpster. Rick knelt by the,.

"It's okay, the cars right over there." Rick spoke to them.

"Were leaving!" A man pulled up a truck near a building a sniper was posted at.

The sniper jumped down to the truck but missed and fell on a fence, the fence spoke going clean through his leg. His partner left him. Walkers began approaching everyone, eating the guy Hershel shot.

"Wheres Rick?" Hershel asked Glenn and Brian.

"Went to the sorry kid over there." Brian pointed to the fence.

The three of them ran to the kid.

"Stop yelling! Or I will shoot you!" Rick screamed at the kid.

"They may be what has to be done." Hershel sighed. "We could cut the leg off..."

Hershel tied a bandana around the leg and prepared to cut. Glenn, Rick and Brian were shooting Walkers.

"There's no time Hershel!" Rick called to him and ran back, Hershel, Glenn, and Brian left the kid but Rick put his hand around his leg and ripped it out, as the kid screamed.

:: ::

Andrea walked into Beth's room, and looked at the sleeping Beth. Riley, Maggie, and Patricia were with her.

"You haven't left her side for a moment since shes been like this." Andrea looked at Riley.

"So what? I'm not leaving." Riley sighed, a single tear going down his cheek. "I'm scared. What if she doesn't make it? If that happens, I'll be the one to put her down."

"You don't h-" Andrea began but was cut off.

"Yes I do." Riley glared at her, she could see he was weak from lack of sleep.

"Sleep, Riley." Maggie looked up at him.

"No I already failed to protect Carl and Sophia. I'm not gonna fail to protect another person I care about." Riley looked at the unconscious Beth and smiled.

"She's dehydrated. I'll go get the IV. The best I can do without Hershel." Patricia left the room.

:: ::

Everyone was preparing to search for Rick and the others when their car drove up. They got out.

"Wheres Riley?" Brian asked.

"He refuses to leave Beth's side, even to eat or sleep." Patricia sighed.

"Patricia prepare the shed for surgery." Hershel walked Inside.

"Who the hell is that?" T dog pointed to the kid tied up and blind folded in the backseat.

"That's Randall." Glenn answered.

:: ::

"What we do with him?" Shane asked, everyone except Beth, Riley, And Hershel were in the dining room.

"I repaired his calf muscle, he won't be able to walk for a week." Hershel walked up.

"Once he's ready, we send him on his merry way." Rick spoke.

"You sure?" Shane sighed.

"Yes." Rick spoke.

"We living in fairytale land again people!" Shane walked off.

"We never even spoke about what you did at the barn! Now, you see I wanted you gone, but Rick talked me out of it. Doesn't mean I have to like it. So do both of us a favor, and shut your mouth!" Hershel walked to Shane.

:: ::

Hershel was sitting beside Beth, Riley was leaning against the wall as Maggie walked in.

"Your still here?" She looked at Riley.

"Got nowhere else to go." Riley crossed his arms and yawned.

"Sleep." Maggie nagged.

"Nah." Riley chuckled. "I made myself a promise not to sleep till she woke."

"Oh..." Maggie walked out.


	14. Chapter 14: 18 miles out

Lori walked to Riley who finally sat down beneath a tree to sleep.

"Listen here Riley. I don't want you anywhere near my baby or my son again, not after what happened to Sophia. Got it? When the baby is here. I want you as far as possible. Got it?" Lori hissed at him. That Was it. Riley couldn't take it anymore, her bitching. He stood and backhanded her across the face, causing her to fall.

"Shut the fuck up, Lori. Okay? I did all I could to save your son. I didn't hesitate, not for a fraction of a second, when Sophia ran off. Did I? Me and Rick, we chased her, we did our best." Riley was walking away. "One other thing. She's the lucky one."

:: ::

Brian was with Shane and Rick, they left to set Randall free, far away.

"We gotta start using our knives more." Rick was saying. "If there's just one Walker we save ammunition."

"Good idea." Brian spoke.

"Yeah." Shane sighed.

:: ::

Lori brought a tray of food to Beth, Riley was sitting on a chair in the corner, refusing to leave her side still, after that incident with Lori, he hated being alone.

"Your pregnant.. How could you do that?" Beth didn't look at Lori.

"What? Riley stand up for me..." Lori looked at the boy, who simply laughed.

"You think it'll make a difference?" Beth looked at her.

"Eat up." Lori sighed and walked out. Beth looked down at her tray of food.

:: ::

"Thats more than 18." Shane looked at the passing scenery.

"Looking for someplace safe to drop him off." Rick kept driving.

:: ::

They reached a school, and parked, walking to the closed gate, seeing three Walkers coming.

"Stab them." Rick made his middle finger bleed and rubbed the blood on the gate, and one of them licked the blood, Rick killed the walker, and Brian and Shane killed the last 2.

Rick used Dale's bolt cutters to open the gate and he pushed it open.

"Hey Rick?" Shane called over. "I don't see any bites."

"Must be scratches then, this ones hand, this ones cheek and the other ones arm." Rick pointed to the spots.

Shane drove through the gate with Randall.

:: ::

Lori walked back to Beth and saw she was crying into Riley's shoulder.

"Couldn't eat a thing? It's gonna be alright... I know how hard it is..." Lori was trying to comfort her.

"It's just so pointless..." Beth said between sobs.

"No. Don't say that." Riley looked at her sternly.

"Yeah, you got Hershel, and Maggie, and Patricia, and now Riley... People who need you, who rely on you..." Lori looked up at her.

As Lori was walking away from the room she heard Riley yell something at Beth.

"Where the hell did you get that!? Give it here, Beth. Now. Before you do anything you might regret..." Riley was saying.

"Riley... Please don't take it..." Beth was crying hard.

Lori barged into the room and saw Beth was holding a knife. She took it.

"You don't wanna do this sweetheart..." Lori ran out.

Beth sat there sobbing into Riley's chest.

:: ::

Rick pushed Randall down into the ground and ripped the tape off his mouth. And they walked away from him.

"Oh... Oh don't be stupid! I could help you protect what you got! Im not like the guys I was with! I used to watch soccer, and screw around on the internet! I lived with my mom! I lost her like you lost people! I went to school with Maggie for God's sake!" Randall was pleading.

"You know Maggie?" Rick and Shane walked back to him.

"Answer the question!" Shane yelled.

"She didn't know me.. But I knew who she was and who her father was!" Randall defended himself.

"he knows where the farm is, Rick..." Shane whispered to Rick and brian.

"I agree with Shane, let's kill him here." Brian sighed.

When Rick didn't answer, Shane pulled out his gun and aimed at Randall but Rick knocked the gun aWay.

"Not now! Just not now!" Rick screamed at Shane.

"Then when? It's not hard man, the right choice is the one that keeps us alive!" Shane yelled and stood back up. "It's like this everytime your put to the test, u just can't do it. Can u?"

"It's my call." Rick began walking away.

"I dont think you can do it. I don't think you can keep Carl and Lori safe." Shane spoke simply.

Rick had enough, he tackled Shane into a car, but Shane headbutts him. Brian backed away so he was near Randall, not wanting to get mixed up. Shane grabbed ricks gun out of its holster but Rick pinned him to a car, punching him twice, Shane switches positions and hits him. Brian sees Randall crawling toward the knife, as the fight goes on, but he decides to let Randall do it. Shane pushed Rick to the ground and toppled a motorcycle onto his legs.

Shane retrieved one of the guns, and aimed at Randall but Rick tackled him, beating him.

"You can't make these calls anymore. I won't let you." Rick went to walk away, but Shane threw a wrench at him, Rick dived to the side as it went through a window, and Walkers poured out.

Brian saw Shane run into a school bus and press his body against it, as Walkers pushed for it to open.

:: ::

"Are you crazy? What if dad finds out?" Maggie sat with Beth and Riley.

"He'd kill me for committing suicide." Beth sighed.

"Stop being a brat." Maggie glared at her sister.

:: ::

Randall finished stabbing the Walkers head, and noticed Brian was just standing there smiling.

"What's so funny?" Randall looked at him.

"This whole thing." Brian laughed.

:: ::

Riley left the room when Beth and Maggie started screaming at eachother, he was leaning against the kitchen counter with Andrea and Lori.

"Wheres Hershel?" Andrea looked at Lori.

"He doesn't wanna find out yet." Lori sighed. "When Beth stops arguing that's when it's time to worry."

"Oh I'm sorry..." Andrea noticed the fear in Riley's eyes.

"It's alright, I wanted to end it too, before we made it here. I wanted to remain in the CDC. But decided I had a job to do, protect everyone I care about..." Riley sighed.

:: ::

After the yelling stopped Riley went back to Beth and Maggie.

"Mom would be ashamed, to learn she raises such a coward." Maggie looked at Beth.

"What's the point of living..." Beth sighed.

"Dad thinks theres not a cure now... He has finally came to his senses and knows he's wrong..." Maggie soothed.

" When has dad ever admitted he was wrong?" Beth spoke, Riley chuckled.

"What about Riley?" Maggie looked at the boy.

"We just met." Beth blushed, turning away. "We should do it. All three of us!"

"What?" Maggie stared.

"No." Riley crossed his arms.

"We can help eachother! It's hard to do it, no one wants to but we can! Or well be forced to when this house and this farm is overrun. I don't wanna be gutted. I wanna do it. In this bed, tonight, with you two beside me." Beth spoke so surely, it scared Riley.

"I will protect you Beth..." Riley knelt by her side.

"Yeah? What if there were thousands? We won't live through that! So why try!? " Beth stared at Riley.

"Maggie..." Riley looked at Maggie.

"We won't let you do it Beth." Maggie glared.

:: ::

The door opened and Andrea came in. Riley and Maggie walked to her.

"You can't sit ontop of her." Andrea looked at them.

"We can't leave." Riley crossed his arms.

"Your exhausted get some fresh air Maggie. Riley you haven't eaten in two days." Andrea looked at them and they nodded and left. Riley felt woozy.

:: ::

Rick grabbed Randall by his arm and looked at Brian.

"Were going." Rick ran off tugging Randall behind him.

"What about Shane?!" Brian followed.

"We're coming back for him." Rick answered.

:: ::

Maggie and Riley returned to Beth's room, and she was missing, They heard her crying in the bathroom. They heard glass shatter, and ran to the door. Riley tried to kick it open but it was locked tight.

"Beth? Listen to me Beth. Don't do anything... Please..." Riley banged on the door.

He kicked it again and this time it flew off its hinges. Beth is standing there holding a bloody wrist.

"I'm sorry..." Beth sobbed.

:: ::

Rick drove the car to the back of the bus Shane was in while Brian and Randall shit walkers. Shane ran and jumped in.

:: ::

Andrea ran back to the house. Maggie and Riley went out to greet her.

"Your not coming around anywhere near her, me, or Riley. Got it?" Maggie blocked her way.

"Riley.. Tell her to let me through!" Andrea pleaded.

"You let my juliet cut herseld, get away from here. Now!" Riley screamed at her as she ran off.


	15. Chapter 15: Judge, Jury, Executioner

**AN: FINALLY THIS CHAPTER.**

* * *

Daryl returned to the campsite, blood on his fists.

"He talk?" Brian looked at him.

"Yeah, 30 guys. Heavily armed."

"How did you get that out of him?" Carol asked.

"Had a little chat." Daryl walked past her.

"Your just gonna kill him?" Dale looked at Rick with disgust.

"It's done. Well do it today." Rick walked off..

Dale and Brian followed him.

"You don't wanna do this, I know you don't." Dale looked at him.

"You can't do this Rick..." Brian sighed.

"I thought about it all night, its settled." Rick kept walking.

"You... You can't just decide on Your own to take someone's life!" Dale tried to reason.

"The group seemed supportive." Rick stopped walking.

"They didn't speak back? You didn't let them! There's gotta be a process!" Dale stopped too.

"We can't call witnesses, go before a judge..." Rick trailed off.

"So he's automatically guilty from association and sentenced to death? He's just a kid!" Dale practically yelled.

"It's done." Rick walked off.

"You think about your son! The message your giving him! Shoot first, think later?" Dale followed him.

"we will talk at sunset." Rick walked off.

:: ::

Andrea and Riley were guarding Randall.

"Hey. Can I get a drink! I'm very thirsty!" Randall was begging.

"Let's give him water, a last meal..." Riley whispered.

"No. They said keep guard." Andrea was still pissed at Riley for not defending her against Maggie.

"They gonna kill me right?" Randall asked. Both Riley and Andrea looked at him.

Shane walked up suddenly.

"Dale got you two on watch? Say, I just wanted to go In there and put an end to this. You gonna stop me?" Shane asked.

"If that's what it takes." Riley took his pistol out of its holster.

"Your funny kid." Shane chuckled. "so dales got you two buying into his sob story eh?"

"I said I was with you." Andrea answered.

"I'm with dale, we can't kill another living human. Not without choice." Riley crossed his arms.

"Really Riley? Say, whenever something goes bad who do you think causes it?" Shane asked.

"Some might say you." Andrea answered for him.

"Nah, no one listens to me, it's Rick and Hershel." Shane sighed.

"So? Ricks the leader. It's Hershel's farm. You gonna lock them in a room and take their guns?" Andrea asked sarcastically.

"No." Shane smiled.

:: ::

Shane: Andrea, and Riley heard chains rumbling in the barn. Shane opened the barn and saw Randall talking to Carl.

"What you say to him?" Shane walked to Randall.

"Nothing!" Randall pleaded.

"I will shoot you in your mouth right now!" Shane pinned Randall to the barn wall. Riley pulled him back.

"Not now man!" Riley glared.

:: ::

Dale and Brian approached Daryl.

"The whole point of me getting up here is to get away from you people." Daryl hissed.

"Will take more than that." Dale answered.

"Carol send you?" Daryl looked at them.

"No."Brian answered.

"Carols not the only concerned bout you. Your new role in the group. " Dale replied.

"I Don't need my head shrunk, this groups broken." Daryl continues making arrows.

"You act like you dont give a fuck." Brian looked at him.

"Cuz I don't." Daryl answered.

"So live or die you don't care what happens to Randall?" Dale looked at him.

"No." Daryl said matter-of-factly.

"Then why not stand with us." Dale looked at Daryl. "try to save the kids life, if it really doesn't matter one way or another."

"Didn't peg you two for desperate sons of bitches. No one comes to me for advice." Daryl shouldered his crossbow and walked off.

"Carol does, and we are, right now. And you obviously got ricks ear!" Dale called after him.

"Rick only looks to Shane. Let him." Daryl walked back to Dale.

"You cared what happened to Sophia! Cared about what it meant to the group. Torturing people? That isn't you! Your a decent man! So is Rick! Shane is different." Dale kept ranting.

"Because he killed Otis?." Daryl walked off again.

"He tell you that?" Dale looked closely at him.

"He tell some story, how Otis covered his asS. He shows up with the dead guys gun. Rick ain't stupid. If he didn't figure that out, it's cuz he didn't wanna." Daryl kept walking. "like I said. Groups broken."

:: ::

Carl was sitting with Riley, looking at where they found Sophia. Carol walked up.

"You know well see Sophia again sometime. She's In a better place." Carol looked at the kid.

"No she's not. Heavens just another lie. And if you believe in it, your an idiot!" Carl ran off.

"Wait up!" Riley ran after him.

:: ::

Rick walked to Carl and Riley who were pacing back and forth.

"Carl come here! Did you talk back to Carol?" Rick looked at him.

"No." Carl lied.

"She says you did. You can't talk back to people like that." Rick stared at his son.

"I said it's stupid to believe in heaven, cuz it is." Carl defended himself.

"Think about that. She just lost her daughter. She wants to believe she's still alive in some way. Don't talk, think." Rick walked off.

:: ::

Dale and Brian approached Hershel.

"Why are you here?" Hershel asked.

"The kid. Randall." Dale began.

"I don't wanna know, it's ricks choice." Hershel looked at them.

"How can you say that!? It's your land!" Brian yelled at him.

"I want him away from my girls." Hershel spoke. "I don't care how."

"it's an execution." Dale spoke.

"I don't care." Hershel stared at Dale.

"You can't stand on the sidelines! Your a man with convictions!" Dale yelled at Hershel.

"I used to be, at least I thought I was. But I've made too many mistakes." Hershel replied Calmly.

"At least talk with Randall before making up your mind." Dale begged.

"No. I'll leave it with Rick." Hershel walked off.

:: ::

Dale and Brian walked to Shane.

"What's up Dale?" Shane chuckled.

"I want you to reconsider." Dale replied.

"Really?" Shane looked at them.

"Look, I know well never see eye to eye." Dale replied.

"I say that's the understatement of the year." Shane chuckled.

"But neither of us are going anywhere." Dale replied.

"Nope." Shane smiled. "tell ya what, in A little bit, when we gather. If you've convinced them to keep the kid alive, I won't say a damn word about it. But I'm telling you both. Man to man. Your wrong. And when Randall kills somebody, I won't need to say Anything. Cuz that blood. That will be on you. Your wrong about this Dale, your dead wrong."

"Please try to convince Rick Shane!" Brian called after Shane as he walked off.

"Sorry, bud. But no." Shane kept walking.

:: ::

Riley was leaning against the wall watching Hershel hum a catchy tune to Beth.

"Doodlebug doodlebug go away home..:" Hershel kept humming. Hershel, Beth, and Riley chuckled.

Glenn walked in and him and Hershel left. Riley made sure they were gone before he knelt by Beth.

"How you feeling Beth?" He held her hand tightly.

"Better today... Ugh... Not so tight..." She groaned and he loosened his grip.

"Sorry..;" he blushed.

"It's fine." She reassured him.

Riley kissed her cheek and before she could reply, stood and walked out. Smiling like an idiot.

_Did That really just happen... Did I just kiss the most beautiful girl in the worlds cheek?, _Riley thought.

:: ::

Everyone except Carl, Jimmy, and Beth gathered in the living room.

"From where I stand there's only one way to move forward." Shane spoke.

"Killing him? Right? So why even bother taking a vote. It's clear which way the wind blows." Dale spoke sadly.

"well if people believe we should spare him I need to know." Rick spoke.

"I can tell you it's a small group, maybe just me, Glenn, Brian, and Riley." Dale sighed. He looked down at Glenn who shook his head. "They got you scared!"

"He's not one of us! And we've lost too many people already!" Glenn retaliated.

"Give him a chance to prove himself! he could be an asset!" Dale was ranting.

" He won't be allowed to walk around. Not without a watcher ." Rick answered.

"Okay, say we let him join us. Say he's helpful, say hes nice. Say he runs off and brings back his 30 men." Shane spoke.

"So the answer is to kill him to prevent a crime he may never even attempt?! If we do this, we are saying there is no hope. Rule of law is dead, there is no civilization!" Dale yelled.

"If you go through with it, how will you do it? Will he suffer?" Patricia asked.

"Could hang him. Just snap his neck." Shane spoke.

"Been thinking, shooting may be more humane." Rick spoke.

"Yeah your right, quick and painless." Riley spoke.

"Your talking bout this like it's already decided! This is a young mans life! And it is worth more than a five minute conversation! Is this what it's come to? We kill someone cuz we can't decide what else to do with him?! You saved him! And now look at us.. He's been tortured, he's gonna be executed! How are we any better than those people we are so afraid of? " Dale was yelling.

"Enough! Enough fighting. I'm sick of it! Decide. Either of you, both of you. But leave me out of it." Carol spoke.

"Not speaking out, and killing him yourself. There's no difference." Dale looked at her.

"That's a lil bit too far Dale." Brian spoke.

"Anyone wants the floor before we make a choice has the chance." Rick spoke. No one spoke.

"You once said we don't kill the living." Dale remembered when Jim was bit.

"That was before the living tried to kill us." Rick spoke.

"But don't you see? If we do this, The people that we were... The world that we knew is dead! And this new world. It's harsh... It's survival of the fittest! And that's a world I don't wanna live in! And I don't believe that any of you do! I can't! Please... Let's just do what's right... Isn't there anybody else whose gonna stand with me?" Dale was ranting.

"he's right." Andrea spoke. "We should find another way."

"me and Riley too." Brian spoke.

"Anybody else?" Rick asked. No one speaks.

"You all gonna watch too? No you'll all go hide in your tents and try to forget we are slaughtering a human being. I won't be a party to it. " Dale walked out, but put a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "This group is broken."

Dale left the house.

:: ::

Daryl, Rick, Shane, and Brian brought Randall to the barn.

Shane pushed Randall to the ground and tied him up with a blindfold On. Rick cocked his gun and aimed.

"Do it." Carl walked in.

Carls sudden appearance startled Rick and his finger slipped, pulling the trigger. Randall fell down dead.

:: ::

A scream was heard suddenly. Everyone ran to the scene. Daryl was there first, tackling a Walker off someone, and killing it.

"Over here!" Daryl jumped.

"Oh my god... Oh my god..." Rick knelt by an extremely injured Dale. His stomach was ripped wide open. "GET HERSHEL!"

"Dale..." Brian was tearing up. He knelt by the old man. "If only we listened..."

"Dale... No... Not you..." Riley was crying hysterically.

"We need Hershel!" Rick yelled.

"What happened?" Hershel reached them.

"Can we move him?" Rick asked.

"He won't make the trip."'Hershel sighed.

"Then do the operation here. Glenn go back to the house!" Rick ordered.

"Rick!" Hershel grabbed Rick gently and shook his head.

"No! No!" Rick cried out. everyone was crying hysterically.

Rick aimed his gun at Dale but couldn't do it. Daryl took ricks gun, and aimed at Dale.

"Sorry, brother." Daryl fired a single shot into Dale.

* * *

**AN: for some reason whenever I watch the scene where Dale dies, I always come close to tears...**


	16. Chapter 16: Better Angels

**AN: sorry for no update on this story for a while. My sister forgot to renew the Netflix bill thingy-majig.**

* * *

"Dale could... Could get under your skin... He sure got under mine... Because he wasn't afraid to say exactly what he thought. How he felt. That type of honesty is rare... And brave. Whenever I'd make a decision, I'd look at Dale. He'd be looking back at me with that look he had... We've all seen it one time or another. I couldn't always read him, but he could read us. He saw people for who they were... He knew things about us. The truth, who we really are. In the end, he was talking about losing our humanity. He said this group is broken. The best way to honor him is to unbreak it. Set aside our differences and pull together. Stop feeling sorry for ourselves. And take control of our lives... Our safety. Our future. We're not broken, we are gonna prove him wrong. From now on, we are gonna do it his way. That is how we honor Dale." Rick spoke at Dale's funeral, and gravesite.

:: ::

"Gonna be tight. Fourteen people in one house." Rick spoke to Hershel.

"Doesn't matter. With cattle on the property, were ringing a dinner bell." Hershel spoke.

"True, did you see what that son of a bitch did to that cattle?" Brian spoke, remembering the cow near the dead Dale.

"Let's not remember that night." Riley wiped a tear that was forming in his left eye.

"Oh... Sorry..." Brian sighed.

"Brian, go help T dog and Daryl patrol the perimeter. Riley go help Hershel bring supplies inside." Rick spoke.

"Sure." Brian walked off.

"Whatever." Riley picked up a box, and followed Hershel inside.

:: ::

Inside the house, Beth ran up to Hershel and Riley, obviously feeling better.

"Can I borrow Riley for a bit, daddy?" Beth looked at Hershel.

"Sure, hurry back though Riley." Hershel smiled at him.

"Alright, Hershel." Riley set the box down, following Beth outside.

"About a few nights ago, when you kissed my cheek..." Beth blushed, looking at him.

"Sorry about that..." Riley sighed. He opened his mouth to say something else, but was silenced by a kiss from Beth. Riley pulled away, blushing like crazy. "What...?"

"I was waiting till we were alone to do that... but that never happened... And we lost Dale... I wanted to do that just in case one of us were next..." Beth looked down.

"I won't let that happen, Beth." Riley kissed her cheek. "I need to get back to your dad, before he gets suspicious. See ya around."

He walked off, but smiled.

:: ::

"The men are in there." Lori motioned to the dining room.

Glenn and Riley went to put their stuff in, Beth and Maggie walked up to them.

"You can put your things in my room." Maggie spoke to Glenn. "And, Riley. Beth's too scared to ask, but you can put your things in her room."

"Uh..." Riley was lost for words.

"With your dad in the house? Riley, will side with me on this. It's a bad idea. Right, Riley?" Glenn looked at Riley.

"Yeah, it is." Riley gave Beth a saddened look.

:: ::

Lori and Brian went to Shane, who was building a watch post on the windmill.

"You should wait for help." Lori looked up at him.

"No use waiting for something that ain't gonna come." Shane continued working.

"Just come down here, Shane." Brian sighed.

"Fine, bud." Shane climbed down.

"So after Sophia. I... uh..." Lori looked at Shane. "I thought 'We'll heal.' you know? Now Dale? This is real... We can't keep it at bay... And it just keeps coming, doesn't it? I made a mess of things."

:: ::

That night, everyone was sitting on the porch.

"It's my fault Dale died... I saw the Walker... I coulda prevented it..." Carl was saying.

"Don't say that, Carl." Shane put a hand on his shoulder.

"But it is..." Carl was tearing up.

"It's no ones fault but his." Brian crossed his arms.

"What do you mean?" Carol looked at him.

"I mean, if he didn't throw a tantrum and leave, he would still be here." Brian chuckled.

"Alright thats enough." Rick stood.

"We're losing people left and right..." Brian chuckled.

"We are." Riley agreed.

"It wasn't Dale's or anybodys fault." Rick looked at them sternly.

"It was his fault! Are you blind!" Brian suddenly yelled at him, which earned a gunshot noise, everyone turned to see Beth pointing a gun in the air.

"Enough fighting!" Beth cried out.

Everyone suddenly heard moaning and stared in awe as a huge herd of Walkers were coming through the woods.

"Holy shit..." Brian backed away.

* * *

**AN: The Rest of this ep is all about Shane killing Randall, and Rick killing Shane. So i can't write about that.**


	17. Chapter 17: Beside the Dying Fire

**AN: one of my fave eps! Pretty much dead Already, Judge jury, Executuoner, Better angels, and this are my fave eps ever! Besides the newest one. Fucking Lizzie. Bitch... Please review!**

* * *

"Maybe their just passing like the herd on the highway? Let's go back inside." Glenn suggested.

"Not unless there's a tunnel I don't know bout. A herd that size would rip the house apart." Daryl spoke.

"Patricia, kill the lights. Get my guns." Hershel ordered.

"We need to get to the cars!" Brian looked at the herd.

"No duh, Einstein!" Riley screamed at him.

"Maggie..." Glenn looked at her as she handed him a gun.

"You grow up country, you pick up a thing or two." Maggie smirked.

"You gonna take them all on?" Daryl looked at Hershel.

"We have guns, we have cars." Hershel replied.

"We kill as many as we can, and lead the rest away off the farm." Andrea looked up from the gun bag.

"This is my farm, I'll die here." Hershel cocked a shotgun.

"The captain goes down with his shIp." Riley mumbled.

"Exactly." Hershel smirked.

:: ::

Maggie drove with Glenn shooting Walkers out the front window, and Riley out the back window.

T dog drove with Andrea shooting out the front window of the pick up truck and Brian sniping from the back of it.

Maggie, Glenn, and Riley drove past the RV and saw Walkers spill in, blood splattering the windows.

"Jimmy..." Riley breathed.

"No... Jimmy..." Maggie teared up.

:: ::

"drop me off at the house!" Riley ordered.

"Are you crazy?!" Maggie screamed.

"I'm not leaving without Beth!" Riley screamed back.

"She's okay. She's... Okay. I know she is. She's with Hershel, and Patricia." Glenn tried to calm Riley.

:: ::

"We gotta go!" Brian screamed at T dog.

"Not without Lori!" he parked and Andrea got out, covering Lori and Beth, as they entered.

"Get in!" Brian called to Andrea.

"No. I gotta go find Carol!" She ran off.

They saw a Walker tackle Andrea.

"They got her..." Lori breathed.

"Go!" Beth screamed at T dog.

:: ::

"Where are they going? Should we follow them!?" Maggie looked at the blue pick up truck as it drove away.

"Yes!" Glenn answered. "swing it around!"

Maggie went to do that but the truck got surrounded by Walkers.

"I can't get through!" Maggie screamed.

"Leave the farm!" Glenn ordered.

"The others. We can't leave them!" Maggie screamed at him.

"I agree with her! Beth is still there! So is Brian!"'Riley looked at Glenn.

"Maggie. riley... It's lost!" Glenn screamed.

"Listen to Him Maggie..." Riley sighed.

"Whatever!" Maggie screamed and tore through the crowd of Walkers,'leaving the farm.

:: ::

"Oh my god... Oh my god..." Maggie kpet mumbling.

"Let's just gO Back to th highway." Glenn spoke.

"The herd came that way." Riley shook his head. In truth he just hated the memory of it being his fault sophia was lost.

"Okay... Just.. Stop the car, let me drive. Your a nervous wreck." Glenn mumbled and Maggie stopped the car. Maggie started sobbing after Glenn got in the drivers seat, she was in the passenger seat. "hey hey hey.. Were alive.. we made it, the others did too I bet."

"We can hope..:" Riley mumbled.

"Not helping!" Glenn hissed.

"Well it's true..." Riley sighed.

:: ::

"We need to circle back to the highway where we first broke down." Lori looked at at T dog.

"Um, no..." T dog chuckled.

"Rick and Glenn woulda headed there." Lori pleaded.

"If there's a chance Riley's still alive, we need to take it!" Brian screamed.

"I'm sorry. It's suicide." T dog sighed.

"Then I'm getting out." Lori opened the door, T dog slammed on the brakes.

"fine!" He hissed. "your out of your damn minds!"

Lori closed the door and they turned around.

:: ::

Glenn, Maggie, and Riley found Daryl, Carol, Hershel. Rick, Carl, and Shane on the highway.

Maggie got out and ran and hugged Hershel, Riley got out and gave Carl a high five and a loose hug.

Anothr car pulled out and out came T dog, Lori,Beth, and Brian.

"Shane... Rick.. Carl!" Lori ran and hugged them.

"Lori..." Shane smiled.

"We all who made it?" Brian looked around. Riley hugged Beth tightly, kissing her cheek.

"Glad you made it Beth..." Riley teared up.

"Andrea?" Glenn asked.

"We saw her go down." T dog sighed.

"Patricia?" Hershel asked.

"Took her right from me..." Beth cried into Riley's chest.

"It's okay..." Riley soothed her.

"Jimmy?" Beth stopped crying and looked up.

"We saw Walkers get him in the RV." Glenn sighed.

"Just great... Freakin great..." Shane mumbled.

"you definitely saw Andrea?" Carol asked.

"Yes." Lori sighed.

"She may be alive. I'm going back." Daryl got back on his motorcycle.

"No. We aren't splitting up!" Rick ordered.

"We can't leave her!" Daryl looked at him:

"She's either dead... Or she's gone. But she's not there." Rick glared.

They all left that highway, leaving the past behind them.

:: ::

"Shit." Rick mumbled.

"What?" Brian asked from the back seat.

"Almost outta gas." Rick sighed. He beeps the horn.

They all got outta the car.

"What's wrong? Out?" Daryl asked.

"Running on fumes. We need to make camp here." Rick answered.

"im freezing..." Carl complained.

"It's alright bud" Shane knelt beside him and smiled.

"we'll make a run for gas in the morning." Rick looked at everyone.

"We can't sit here with our asses hanging out." Maggie spoke. "Me and Glenn can make a run right now."

"we stay together. I didn't think we'd find eachother. I really didn't. So we stay together. Got that?" Rick spoke.

"What if a herd comes through? Or another group like Randall's?" Beth walked closer.

"That won't happen." Riley hugged Beth.

"Were all infected..." Rick said after a little.

"What?" Daryl asked.

"At the CDC. Jenner told me, whatever it is, we all carry it." Rick spoke.

"You kept it from us?!" Carol walked closer.

"Would it have made a difference?" Rick spoke.

"That's not your call. When I found out bout the Wakers on the barn, I told. For the good of everyone." Glenn hissed.

"I thought it'd be best if people didn't know.

:: ::

At the campfire that Night. Riley sat with his arm around Beth. Near Maggie, glenn, and hershel.

"We should take the chances on our Own." Maggie whispered.

"We won't make it." Riley mumbled.

"No food, water, fuel, ammo..." Hershel whispered.

Suddenly a branch snapped.

"What was that?" Brian stood.

"Could be anything. A raccoon, possum." Daryl answered.

"Walker." Glenn sighed.

"It came from the way we came." Maggie pointed.

"No ones going In the dark." Rick spoke.

"We can't stay here!" Carol yelled at him. "Do some thing!"

"I am doing something! Keeping this group together! I didn't ask for this! If you all think your better off without me. I say there's someplace safe. But maybe im wrong. maybe it's another pipe dream. If you wanna find out yourself. There's the doOr. Send me a postcard!" Rick screamed. "no takers? Fine. One things certain, if your staying. This isn't a democracy anymore!"


	18. Chapter 18: Seed

**AN: season 3!**

* * *

Rick kicked open the door of a house and shot a Walker. T dog ran in and sliced another Walkers head off. Carl, Daryl, Brian, Shane, and Riley followed behind. Carl and Brian went into the kitchen, Riley followed Rick into a narrow hallway. Rick slowly opened a door and heard a noise: Daryl was on the other side. Riley chuckled.

"Two way door... Nice." Riley mumbled.

:: ::

Carl, Shane and Brian went into a bathroom and saw a Walker. Carl quickly shot it.

"Nice one... Those lessons Shane gave you really paid off." Brian smiled, patting Shane's shoulder.

"Don't touch me." Shane grumbled.

:: :::

Rick whistled for everyone to come in. Glenn and Maggie took the Walker bodies and carried them outside. Riley hugged Beth as she entered.

"Home sweet home aye sweetie?" Riley chuckled.

"Yeah, real cozy..." Beth mumbled sarcastically.

"Oh just enjoy it." Riley smirked.

:: ::

Brian nuzzled into a couch, falling asleep.

"Psst." T dog motioned to a window. several Walkees came out of the woods. Everyone left in such a hurry, no one noticed Brian didn't follow them out.

Driving away. Riley looked a t the seat Brian usually was in.

"That was cl-" Riley cut off. "Brian?! Brian!"

"What?" Rick looked at him.

"We left Brian! We must go back!" Riley begged.

"No. He's a goner I'm sorry." Rick sighed.

"Fucking shit..." Riley grumbled.

:: ::

Brian woke and saw a few Walkers near him.

"Wh-Wha-!" Brian cut off and jumped off the couch, running away in time to see the cars driving off. "Riley! Wait!"

He turned and realized all the weapons were gone. He ran off into the woods, trying to keep alive. He hides behind a tree, and kneel to pick up a medium sized rock.

"Might not be enough." He sighed. "those no good bastards left me to die!"

He was suddenly pinned to the tree by a Walker, he was distracted, deep in his thoughts.

"Dear god..." He struggled to pull away and gasped when a lead pipe went straight through the head. "Who...?"

"Need a lil help there Bro?" A voice said. He looked and saw a man sliding a lead pipe into his pack.

"Who are you?" Brian stammered.

"Just call me De'mon." The man smirked.

"I'm Brian..." He managed.

"Let's go. This place ain't safe no more." The man ran off, Brian had no choice but to follow.

:: ::

The remaining group parked in the middle of the road.

Carl kept watch with Beth. Riley, Rick, Shane, Daryl, and Hershel crowded around a map.

"Can't believe we left brian for dead..." Riley sighed.

"He's dead. Best to forget him." Shane mumbled.

"Ok maybe we follow thisnriver up? Fresh water..." Hershel was saying.

"I'm going hunting." Daryl walked off.

"Me too." Rick walked off. Riley followed them.

"That's a shame." Daryl suddenly mumbled.

"Huh?" Riley looked and saw a huge prison.

"That could work." Rick walked back to the rest of the group.

:: ::

Rick cut the fence open with bolt cutters. Glenn, Maggie, Shane and Riley were killing Wallers that appeared.

"In! Hurry!" Rick opened the hole he made in the fence.

Everyone scrambled in. Daryl and Glenn tied it shut with wires.

They ran to a gate in front of a gras field.

"Its perfect." Rick mumbled. "If we can close the gate, prevent more from filling the yard. We can take this field by the night."

"I'll do it." Glenn spoke.

"It's a suicide mission." Maggie objected.

"Let me." Rick spoke. "Hershel, Carl. Go on that tower and cover me. everyone else lure walkers to the fence and kill them here."

Rick ran for the gate. Everyone else covering him. He made it and slammed it shut using a wire to seal it. Everyone finished picking off Walkers.

:: ::

That Night...

Everyone sat around a campfire, Riley had his arm around Beth.

"Mmm just as mom used to make.." Glenn mumbled throwing a animal bone away.

"that's his third time around. If any part of it was compromised he would of found it by now." Hershel looked at Rick who was pacing the fence.

:: ::

Riley, T dog, Rick, Maggie, Shane, Glenn, and Daryl got into a circle formation and entered the court yard. Carl, Hershel, Beth, carol, and Lori killed Walkers at the fence.

Riley got grabbed but Glenn saved him.

"Thanks man..." Riley breathed.

"No prob." Glenn smiled.

They saw a courtyard filled with Walkers.

"Shit." Rick pressed his back to a wall.

"We can take them..." Shane whispered.

"That many?" Riley breathed. "No way."

Rick and Daryl ran and closed the gate trapping the Walkers.

"This is secured..." Rick sighed. "We need to move in more."

:: ::

Rick and Riley climbed stairs and saw a dead guard. He poked it and when it didn't react he took a set of keys off him.

:: ::

They brought everyone else inside.

"Secured?" Hershel asked.

"This cell block is. In the morning we will find the cafeteria and infirmary." Rick answered.

"We sleep In the cells?" Beth asked.

"I found some keys on guards: Daryl has a pair too." Rick answered.

"I ain't sleeping in a cell, I got the perch." Daryl walked off.

:: ::

Riley and Beth went into one cell, Riley got the top bunk and smiled down at Beth.

"These are surprisingly comfy." Riley smirked.

"Yeah, shockingly." Beth chuckled.

Riley laid back and fell asleep.

:: ::

Rick helped riley put a vest on.

"What's this for?" Riley looked at him.

"It's too strong for a Walker to bite through." Rick answered, he saw Carl put a helmet on. "Your not coming. If something goes awry you may be the only man standing."

"Keep Beth safe for me okay bud?" Riley knelt by Carl.

"Okay Riley." Carl smiled.

Riley hugged Beth and kissed her cheek.

"Stay safe sweetie. I'll be back I promise." Riley smiled. Riley, Rick, hershel, Maggie, Glenn, Daryl, and Shane left.

:: ::

Turning a corner, Rick spotted a group of Walkers.

"Go back! Hurry!" Rick hissed.

"Walkers!" Glenn hissed.

Everyone was so focused on escaping the WalKees no one noticed when Glenn and Maggie separated and no on also noticed when Hershel separated. Everyone suddenly heard a scream. They all ran and saw glenn and maggie kneeling by Hershel who had a bite in his leg. Rick and Daryl lifted Hershel and half carried half dragged him into the caf.

"Hold him down." Rick mumbled.

"Hershel your gonna be okay..." Riley soothed, he'd hate to see how Beth would feel to know Riley let her father die.

Rick suddenly wrapped his belt around the leg, and began chopping his leg off with a hatchet.

"oh!" Rick groaned when he finished.

"Get down." Daryl hissed, everyone did and saw five prisoners In the food storage.

"Holy shit..." One of them mumbled.


	19. Chapter 19: Sick

**AN: sorry for no update in so long, I've been busy, plus I'm procrastinating till they put season 4 onNetflix.**

* * *

"Who the hell are you?" Daryl aimed his crossbow at the men and advanced forward, T dog following, taking his pistol out of his holster, Riley took his gun out and cocked it.

"Who the hell are you?" One of them spat back.

"Answer the question!" Riley hissed at them.

"Don't look like no rescue team..." Another one mumbled.

"If a rescue team is what your waiting for, don't!" Rick hissed at them as he and Glenn lifted Hershel onto a stretcher. "T the door!"

"What are you doing! Don't open that!" One of the strangers warned.

T dog ran and opened the door, one a Walker came in and he swiftly killed it as Rick and Glenn pushed the stretcher out. Daryl and Riley lagged behind, keeping their weapons steadily aimed at the strangers as they backed out of the room.

:: ::

They were heading back to Cell Block C, when they heard voices behind them.

"Follow the flashlight." one said.

"Let's go. Go go go Go go!" Daryl urged as they made their way to the locked gate.

"Open! It's Hershel!" Rick screamed.

"What happened?" Beth seemed close to tears as Carl opened the door.

"He was bit." Rick replied as he lifted Hershel onto a bed.

"Oh god, he's gonna turn..." Carol mumbled.

Beth was crying into Riley's shoulder, as he hugged her, whispering soothingly into her ear.

:: ::

"Great news, you've been pardoned by the State of Georgia. Your free to go." Everyone hear Daryl speak.

"A bunch of civilians break into a prison, makes it seem like there ain't no place _to_ go." One of them spat back.

"Why don't you find out." Daryl threatened;

"Don't tell me what to find out." Everyone heard a gun cock.

"Stop it." T dog ran in, aiming his gun.

"Stay here Beth..." Riley whispered and unsheathed his gun, walking out with Rick.

"Why don't you take the man to a hospital." One of them spoke.

"How long have you been trapped?" Rick asked.

"10 months." One answered.

"Ever heard of men going cannibal? One guard looked out for us. Locked us in that cafeteria." One of them spoke.

"There are no hospitals, no government, no police." Rick sighed. "It's all gone. As far as we know, at least half the population has been wiped out. Probably more."

"For real?" One of them stared aghast.

"See for yourself." Rick glared.

:: ::

They led the prisoners outside.

"Man, this sun does feel good." One of them sighed in relief.

"Your trying to tell us, three guys took out all these bodies? There must be at least fifty corpses here." One of them glared at Rick.

"What is this?" one of them poked a dead body.

"A disease, and we are all infected." Rick answered.

"Infected? Like AIDS?" One of them asked.

"Something like that..." Riley mumbled.

"Say I kill you. Shoot you in the chest with an arrow, you'll come back as one of these things." Daryl spoke.

"How'd you get in?" One asked.

"Cut a hole in that fence, near the guard tower." Rick pointed.

"That easy huh?" One sighed.

"I guess you could take that field near the water. Seems comfortable." One pointed.

"Were using that field for crops." Rick answered, losing patience.

"Okay but you can't stay here." The same one smirked.

"We cleared this prison, we spilled blood. It's ourS." Rick challenged.

"Guess we could clear out another area, say if this guy will spot us some real weapons." The same one spoke.

"How stocked is that caf?" Rick asked. "Must be stocked cuz five guys lasted almost a year."

"It's almost empty." One of them answered_._

_"_We take half, we clear out another cell block. But I see you near any of our people, even if I catch a whiff of your scent I will kill you. Got that?" Rick challenged.

:: ::

"Pantry is right over here." One of them led the group.

"This is what you call a little bit of food?" Rick stared at all the food.

"Holy..." Riley mumbled.

"It goes fast." the leader spoke. "Yiu can have some tuna fish, canned ham..."

"We said half. That was the deal." Rick spoke.

:: ::

"Look what we got!" T dog carried food in, with Rick and Riley close behind both carrying bags of food.

"More where this comes from!" Riley set the bags down near where T dog set his boxes. He walked to Beth. "How's your dad?"

"A little better... We can just have hope..." Beth was obviously trying not to tear up.

"Thats all we can have anymore..." Riley sighed and kissed her forehead. "I gotta back to Daryl... Stay safe alright?"

"I'll try..." She sighed as he ran off to join Rick and T dog by the gate.

:: ::

"Why do I need a knife when I have a gun?" The guy they now knew as Tomas spoke.

"You don't fire guns unless your backs against a wall. Noise attracts them, really riles them up." Daryl spoke. "These things only go down with a headshot."

"Daryl and T take the front, me and Riley bring up the rear. Anyone breaks ranks and we could all go down, anyone runs off, they could get mistaken for a Walker and end up with an axe in the head." Rick spoke.

:: ::

"You will hear them before you see them." Daryl spoke when they were sneaking through a hall.

"It's coming!" The man they now knew as Axel spoke a little too loud.

"Shhh!" Rick and Riley hissed.

Two walkers rounded a corner and the five prisoners broke ranks and attacked the a Walkers.

"Idiots..." Riley mumbled.

:: ::

"It's gotta be the brain not the heart or lunges." Daryl shot a Walker, they were all backed into a room, Walkers storming in.

"Gotcha..." The one they now knew as Oscar spoke as he hit a Walker with the bat. "Like that?"

"Yup." Daryl spoke, as Axel, Oscar, Rick, Riley, Tomas, the other prisoner andrew, t dog, and Daryl killed walkers. No one noticed that the other prisoner, Big Tiny snuck off.

Everyone heard Big Tiny scream, Rick ran and killed two walkers that were on him. He had a big cut by his shoulder.

"He won't make it." Rick sighed.

"You cut the other dudes leg off to help him!" Andrew spat.

"Do you see where the bite is!?" Rick hissed.

"I'm sorry man..." Riley sighed.

"Just I'm fine; I'm not turning am I?" Big tiny stared.

Suddenly Tomas hit him in the back of the head with the axe and tackle him, hitting him multiple times with the axe, brutally killing him.

:: ::

"Did you see his face?" Rick whispered to Daryl and Riley as they made their way through another hall.

"He does anything, give me the signal." Daryl replied.

:: ::

"You open it. You want the cell block, you open it." Rick spoke to Tomas. "Only one though, we need to control this."

"You bitches ready?" Tomas uncooked the door and swung open both doors.

"I said one!" Rick yelled.

"Shit happens!" Tomas yelled back.

Everyone was fighting Walkers, Tomas swung his knife barely missing Rick, he then proceeded to push a Walker onto him. Daryl ran up and killed the Walker.

"It was coming at me bro." Tomas said after the fight when Rick approached him.

"Yeah. Yeah I get it. Shit happens." Rick scowled, clutching his machete.

After staring at Tomas for what seemed like forever, he swung the machete into his head.

"No!" Andrew screamed and ran at Rick, Rick kicked him down.

"Stay here." Rick chased Andrew who ran out of the room.

"Man, get down onto your knees." Daryl aimed his bow at oscar.

"You too!" Riley aimed his gun at Axel.

:: ::

"It wasn't us!" Axel pleaded when Rick got back and pointed his gun at him. "It was them, not us! You saw what he did to Tiny! He was my friend..."

"What about you?" Rick aimed his gun at Oscar.

"I ain't never pleaded for my life, I won't start now. So do what you gotta do." Oscar spoke.

:: ::

Rick pushed axel and oscar into another cell block.

"Oh man... i knew these guys, they were good people..." Axel stared at the bodies.

"Good? They were in jail." Riley scoffed.

"They didn't hurt or kill anyone..." Axel sighed.

"So your just leaving us here? That's sick." Oscar glared.

"If you think this is sick, you don't wanna know what's out there." Daryl spoke.

"Consider yourselves lucky." Rick spoke as they left.

"You might wanna burn the bodies." T dog spoke before he left.

"Good luck, sorry about your friends." Riley sighed.

:: ::

When they reached Hershel's cell, Riley hugged Beth, as she cried into his shoulder.

"Hershel's awake..." We heard Glenn breathe.

Beth turned and saw Maggie kneeling by Hershel who had his eyes open, Rick took off his handcuffs. She knelt by Hershel and began sobbing of joy, at her Fathers sudden awaking.


End file.
